ON MARCH 17, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 816, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, add as an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting the conduct of any trade or commerce and declared unlawful under the Consumer Protection Act of 1977, the making of false statements or misrepresentations of fact to a consumer to indicate or imply that the consumer is a party to a civil lawsuit or a defendant in a criminal prosecution in order to induce the consumer to pay for services related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution or to pay costs, fines, penalties, or other assessments related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution. This amendment applies to acts occurring on or after the effective date of the bill.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 47-18-2108(b), 47-18-2108