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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T





SPONSOR: Begaye DATE TYPED: 03/05/01 HB 705
SHORT TITLE: Refund Anticipation Loan Act SB
ANALYST: Valdes


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01 FY02 FY01 FY02

NFI



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



Regulation and Licensing Department



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



According to the Regulation and Licensing Department, House Bill 705 requires additional and duplicative licensure for any small loan company already licensed pursuant to the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955, if the small loan company engages in making refund anticipation loans to consumers in New Mexico.



Significant Issues



The department identified the following significant issues regarding this bill:



A few small loan companies currently licensed pursuant to the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955 would be affected.



The bill places limitations on the annual percentage rate and the finance charge that lenders may charge on refund anticipation loans.



The bill also contains penalties where the lender may have to refund double the amount of fees collected or received.



This bill requires an annual license fee for a refund anticipation loan creditor of $400 for the principal place of business and $400 for each branch maintained in the state.





Maximum fees established in the bill are:



CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP



House Bill 705 is a duplicate of Senate Bill 322.



According to the department, this bill duplicates licensure for a few small loan companies. The fee provisions in the bill conflict with the New Mexico Small Loan Act of 1955, the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959 and the general laws governing Money, Interest and Usury. The bill also does not require lenders to fully comply with the minimum requirements set forth in the federal truth-in-lending laws.

MV/ar