15 U.S.C. § 1692 : US Code - Section 1692: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

Search 15 U.S.C. § 1692 : US Code - Section 1692: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

(a) Abusive practices
There is abundant evidence of the use of abusive, deceptive, and
unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors. Abusive
debt collection practices contribute to the number of personal
bankruptcies, to marital instability, to the loss of jobs, and to
invasions of individual privacy.
(b) Inadequacy of laws
Existing laws and procedures for redressing these injuries are
inadequate to protect consumers.
(c) Available non-abusive collection methods
Means other than misrepresentation or other abusive debt
collection practices are available for the effective collection of
debts.
(d) Interstate commerce
Abusive debt collection practices are carried on to a substantial
extent in interstate commerce and through means and
instrumentalities of such commerce. Even where abusive debt
collection practices are purely intrastate in character, they
nevertheless directly affect interstate commerce.
(e) Purposes
It is the purpose of this subchapter to eliminate abusive debt
collection practices by debt collectors, to insure that those debt
collectors who refrain from using abusive debt collection practices
are not competitively disadvantaged, and to promote consistent
State action to protect consumers against debt collection abuses.