MN HF2335

Licensed collection agencies must establish screening procedures for individual collector applicants at the time of hiring, including national criminal history search, attorney licensing search, and county criminal history searches for all counties where applicant resided in the past five years.

Screening vendors must be members of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners or equivalent.

Renewal screening for individual collectors must include national and county criminal history searches for counties where the individual resided in the preceding year, conducted no more than 60 days before license expiration, with exemption if initial screening occurred within 12 months of first renewal date.

Notice requirements differ between licensed collection agencies (15 days for changes in company name, address, or ownership) and registered individual collectors (30 days for changes in address, name, or assumed name).

Disqualification grounds expanded to include convictions for misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor involving identity theft or financial crime, inability to certify absence of civil judgments for failure to account for client money or property, and involuntary suspension or revocation of law license (previously only revocation).