SB871 HFLR Page 1 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 871 By: Floyd of the Senate and Blancett of the House An Act relating to consumer protection; amending 15 O.S. 2021, Section 753, which relates to unlawful practices; prohibiting misrepresentation as a state agency or an affiliate; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 15 O.S. 2021, Section 753, is amended to read as follows: Section 753. A person engages in a practice which is declared to be unlawful under the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act when, in the course of the person's business, the person: 1. Represents, knowingly or with reason to know, that the subject of a consumer transaction is of a part icular make or brand, when it is of another; SB871 HFLR Page 2 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Makes a false or misleading representation, knowingl y or with reason to know, as to the source, sponsorship, approval, or certification of the subject of a consum er transaction; 3. Makes a false or misleadi ng representation, knowingly or with reason to know, a s to affiliation, connection, association with, or certification by another; 4. Makes a false or misleading repre sentation or designation, knowingly or with reason to know, of the geographic origin of the subject of a consumer transaction; 5. Makes a false representation, knowingly or with reason to know, as to the char acteristics, ingredients, uses, benefits, alterations, or quantities of the subject of a c onsumer transaction or a false representation as to the sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation or connection of a person therewith; 6. Knowingly or with reason to know, makes a false or misleading representat ion or designation as a state agency or an affiliate of a state agency through advertise ment or publication; 7. Represents, knowingly or with reason to know, that the subject of a consumer transaction is original or new if the p erson knows that it is reco nditioned, reclaimed, used, or secondhand; 7. 8. Represents, knowingly or with reason to know, that the subject of a consumer transaction is of a particular standard, style or model, if it is of another; SB871 HFLR Page 3 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 8. 9. Advertises, knowingly o r with reason to know , the subject of a consumer transaction with intent not to sell it as advertis ed; 9. 10. Advertises, knowingly or with reason to know, th e subject of a consumer transaction with intent not to supply reasonably expected public demand, unle ss the advertisement discloses a limitation of quantity; 10. 11. Advertises under the guise of obtaini ng sales personnel when in fact the purpose is to se ll the subject of a consumer transaction to the sales personnel ap plicants; 11. 12. Makes false or misleadin g statements of fact, knowingly or with reason to know, concerning the price of the subject of a consumer transaction or the reason for, existence of, or amounts of price reduction; 12. 13. Employs "bait and switch" advertising, which consists of an offer to sell the subject of a consumer transaction which the seller does not intend to sell, which ad vertising is accompanied by one or more of the fol lowing practices: a. refusal to show the subject of a consumer tra nsaction advertised, b. disparagement of the ad vertised subject of a consumer transaction or the terms of sale, c. requiring undisclosed tie -in sales or other undisclosed conditions to be met prior to selling the advertised subject of a consumer transactio n, SB871 HFLR Page 4 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 d. refusal to take orders for the subject of a consumer transaction advertised for delivery within a reasonable time, e. showing or demonstrating defective subject of a consumer transaction which the seller knows is unusable or impracticable for the pur pose set forth in the advertisement, f. accepting a deposit for the subject of a consumer transaction and subsequently charging the buyer fo r a higher priced item, or g. willful failure to m ake deliveries of the subject of a consumer transaction within a r easonable time or to make a refund therefor upo n the request of the purchaser; 13. 14. Conducts a closing out sale without having first obtained a license as required in the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act; 14. 15. Resumes the business for which the clo sing out sale was conducted within thirty -six (36) months from the expiration date of the closing out sale license; 15. 16. Falsely states, knowingly or with reason to know, that services, replacements or repairs are needed; 16. 17. Violates any provisio n of the Oklahoma Health Spa Act; 17. 18. Violates any provision of the Home Repair Fraud Act; SB871 HFLR Page 5 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18. 19. Violates any provision of the Consu mer Disclosure of Prizes and Gifts Act; 19. 20. Violates any provision of Section 755.1 of this title or Section 1847a of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 20. 21. Commits an unfair or deceptive trade practice as defined in Section 752 of this title; 21. 22. Violates any provision of Section 169.1 of Title 8 of the Oklahoma Statutes in fraudulently or intentionally failing or refusing to honor the contract to provide certain cemetery services specified in the contract entered into pursuant to the Perpet ual Care Fund Act; 22. 23. Misrepresents a mail solicitation as an invoice or as a billing statement; 23. 24. Offers to purchase a mineral or royalty interest through an offer that resembles an oil and gas lease and that the consumer believed was an oil and gas lease; 24. 25. Refuses to honor gift cert ificates, warranties, or any other merchandise offered by a person in a consumer transaction executed prior to the clo sing of the business of the person without providing a purchaser a means of redeeming su ch merchandise or ensuring the warranties offered will be honored by another person; 25. 26. Knowingly causes a cha rge to be made by any billing method to a consumer f or services which the person knows was not authorized in advance by the consumer; SB871 HFLR Page 6 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26. 27. Knowingly causes a charge to be made by any bil ling method to a consumer for a product or products which the pers on knows was not authorized in advance by the consum er; 27. 28. Violates Section 752A of this title; 28. 29. Makes deceptive use of anothe r's name in notification or solicitation, as defin ed in Section 752 of this title; 29. 30. Falsely states or implie s that any person, product or service is recommended or endorsed by a named third person; 30. 31. Falsely states that information about the consumer, including but not limited to, the name, address or phone number of the consumer has been provided by a th ird person, whether that person is named or unnamed; 31. 32. Acting as a debt collector, contacts a debtor and threatens to file a suit against the debtor over a debt barred by the statute of limitations which has passed for filing suit for such debt; or 32. 33. Acting as a debt collector, contacts a debt or and uses obscene or profane language to collect a debt. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE, dated 04/05/2023 - DO PASS.