Illinois § 13.1

§ 13.1.

Collection Agency Licensing and Disciplinary Board; members; qualifications; duties. (a) There is created in the Department the Collection Agency Licensing and Disciplinary Board composed of 7 members appointed by the Secretary. Five members of the Board shall be employed in a collection agency licensed under this Act and 2 members of the Board shall represent the general public, shall not be employed by or possess an ownership interest in any collection agency licensed under this Act, and shall have no family or business connection with the practice of collection agencies. (b) Each of the members appointed to the Board, except for the public members, shall have at least 5 years of active collection agency experience. (c) The Board shall annually elect a chairperson from among its members. The members of the Board shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses as authorized by the Department while engaged in their duties. (d) Members shall serve for a term of 4 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. No Board member shall be appointed to more than 2 full consecutive terms. A partial term of more than 2 years shall be considered a full term. Appointments to fill vacancies for the unexpired portion of a vacated term shall be made in the same manner as original appointments. All members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. (e) The Secretary may remove any member of the Board for cause at any time before the expiration of his or her term. The Secretary shall be the sole arbiter of cause. (f) The majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. A vacancy in the membership of the Board shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the duties of the Board. (g) Members of the Board shall have no liability in any action based upon any disciplinary proceeding or other activity performed in good faith as a member of the Board. (Source: P.A. 99-227, eff. 8-3-15; 100-132, eff. 8-18-17.) (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 104-149) Sec. 13.1. Annual meeting between debt collection industry and the Department. The Department shall, if requested to do so by at least 20 interested persons or an association representing at least 20 interested persons, meet at least once per calendar year with representatives of the debt collection industry to discuss developments in the lawful collection of debt and issues confronting the Department in its regulation and discipline of collection agencies. (Source: P.A. 104-149, eff. 1-1-26.)