HARRISBURG – The PA House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation that would cancel coerced debt incurred as a result of a domestic violence, fraud, duress or intimidation. Coerced debt are financial obligations someone does not knowingly or voluntarily incur. Convicted abusers are using current law as a weapon to further hurt their victims by incurring debt in their victims’ names, causing long-term financial harm. House Bill 2344 would allow victims of coerced debt to formally challenge such obligations with a creditor. Upon receiving a claim, a creditor would be required to make a good-faith determination as to whether the debt qualifies as coerced. If determined to be coerced, a creditor would be required to immediately cease all collection activities against the victim. In addition, the creditor could pursue the perpetrator responsible, thus ensuring financial liability is assigned to the appropriate party. The bill, sponsored by Cumberland County Rep. Sheryl Delozier, goes to the full PA House.
REP. SHERYL DELOZIER