Amend CSHB 7 by adding the following appropriately numbered 
SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill 
accordingly:
	SECTION ___.  Section 392.304(a), Finance Code, as amended 
by Chapter 851, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 
2003, is amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as otherwise provided by this section, in debt 
collection or obtaining information concerning a consumer, a debt 
collector may not use a fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading 
representation that employs the following practices:
		(1)  using a name other than the:                                             
			(A)  true business or professional name or the 
true personal or legal name of the debt collector while engaged in 
debt collection; or
			(B)  name appearing on the face of the credit card 
while engaged in the collection of a credit card debt;
		(2)  failing to maintain a list of all business or 
professional names known to be used or formerly used by persons 
collecting consumer debts or attempting to collect consumer debts 
for the debt collector;
		(3)  representing falsely that the debt collector has 
information or something of value for the consumer in order to 
solicit or discover information about the consumer;
		(4)  failing to disclose clearly in any communication 
with the debtor the name of the person to whom the debt has been 
assigned or is owed when making a demand for money;
		(5)  in the case of a third-party debt collector,
failing to disclose, except in a formal pleading made in connection 
with a legal action:
			(A)  that the communication [debt collector] is an 
attempt [attempting] to collect a debt and that any information 
obtained will be used for that purpose, if the communication is the 
initial written or oral communication between the third-party debt 
collector and [with] the debtor; or
			(B)  that the communication is from a debt 
collector, if the communication is a subsequent written or oral 
communication between the third-party debt collector and [with] the 
debtor;
		(6)  using a written communication that fails to 
indicate clearly the name of the debt collector and the debt 
collector's street address or post office box and telephone number 
if the written notice refers to a delinquent consumer debt;
		(7)  using a written communication that demands a 
response to a place other than the debt collector's or creditor's 
street address or post office box;
		(8)  misrepresenting the character, extent, or amount 
of a consumer debt, or misrepresenting the consumer debt's status 
in a judicial or governmental proceeding;
		(9)  representing falsely that a debt collector is 
vouched for, bonded by, or affiliated with, or is an 
instrumentality, agent, or official of, this state or an agency of 
federal, state, or local government;
		(10)  using, distributing, or selling a written 
communication that simulates or is represented falsely to be a 
document authorized, issued, or approved by a court, an official, a 
governmental agency, or any other governmental authority or that 
creates a false impression about the communication's source, 
authorization, or approval;
		(11)  using a seal, insignia, or design that simulates 
that of a governmental agency;
		(12)  representing that a consumer debt may be 
increased by the addition of attorney's fees, investigation fees, 
service fees, or other charges if a written contract or statute does 
not authorize the additional fees or charges;
		(13)  representing that a consumer debt will definitely                       

be increased by the addition of attorney's fees, investigation 
fees, service fees, or other charges if the award of the fees or 
charges is subject to judicial discretion;
		(14)  representing falsely the status or nature of the 
services rendered by the debt collector or the debt collector's 
business;
		(15)  using a written communication that violates the 
United States postal laws and regulations;
		(16)  using a communication that purports to be from an 
attorney or law firm if it is not;
		(17)  representing that a consumer debt is being 
collected by an attorney if it is not; [or]
		(18)  representing that a consumer debt is being 
collected by an independent, bona fide organization engaged in the 
business of collecting past due accounts when the debt is being 
collected by a subterfuge organization under the control and 
direction of the person who is owed the debt; or
		(19)  using any other false representation or deceptive 
means to collect a debt or obtain information concerning a 
consumer.