Washington, D.C., Bill Could Do More to Improve Courts’ Debt Collection Practices

Pew testimony identifies research-based strategies to bolster legislation

Washington, D.C., Bill Could Do More to Improve Courts’ Debt Collection Practices

The Pew Charitable Trusts, on Nov. 29, 2021, submitted written testimony to the D.C. City Council’s Committee of the Whole on the proposed Protecting Consumers From Unjust Debt Collection Practices Amendment Act of 2021 (B24-0357). The legislation would permanently codify pandemic-era debt collection litigation amendments. Pew’s testimony outlined the landscape of rising debt collection cases in D.C., described how the bill would affect debt claims policy, and recommended next steps.