Del. Cia Price

Prohibits any person from acting as a qualified education loan servicer except in accordance with provisions established by this bill. The bill requires a loan servicer to obtain a license from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and establishes procedures pertaining to such licenses. Banks, savings institutions, credit unions, and nonprofit institutions of higher education are exempt from the licensing provisions. The servicing of a qualified education loan encompasses (i) receiving any scheduled periodic payments from a qualified education loan borrower pursuant to the terms of a qualified education loan; (ii) applying the payments of principal and interest and such other payments, with respect to the amounts received from a qualified education loan borrower, as may be required pursuant to the terms of a qualified education loan; and (iii) performing other administrative services with respect to a qualified education loan. Qualified education loan servicers are prohibited from, among other things, (a) misrepresenting the amount, nature, or terms of any fee or payment due or claimed to be due on a qualified education loan, the terms and conditions of the loan agreement, or the borrower's obligations under the loan; (b) knowingly misapplying or recklessly applying loan payments to the outstanding balance of a qualified education loan; and (c) failing to report both the favorable and unfavorable payment history of the borrower to a nationally recognized consumer credit bureau at least annually if the loan servicer regularly reports information to such a credit bureau. Violations are subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $2,500. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2020, but provides that applications shall be accepted, and investigations commenced, by the SCC beginning March 1, 2020.

Directs the Department of Emergency Management (the Department) to ensure that training programs and programs of public information and education regarding emergency services and disaster preparedness activities established and operated by state agencies be designed to include and reach individuals with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs. The bill also directs the Department to develop an emergency response plan to (i) address the needs of individuals with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs in the event of a disaster, including the provisions of competent interpretation services and translated documents, and (ii) assist and coordinate with local agencies in developing a similar emergency response plan for individuals with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs. The bill requires that every local and interjurisdictional emergency management agency include in its emergency operations plan provisions to ensure that adequate and timely emergency relief assistance, including competent interpretation services and translated documents, is provided to individuals with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs. The bill requires that the governing body of each locality that is required to establish an alert and warning plan for the dissemination of adequate and timely warning to the public in the event of an emergency or threatened disaster ensure that such alert and warning plan provides adequate and timely warning to individuals with limited English proficiency, disabilities, or other special needs.