HOUSE BILL No. 5837

 

September 18, 2014, Introduced by Rep. Callton and referred to the Committee on Financial Services.

 

      A bill to amend 1917 PA 273, entitled

 

"An act to regulate and license pawnbrokers in certain

governmental units of this state; and to prescribe certain powers

and duties of certain local governmental units and state

agencies,"

 

by amending the title and sections 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 18 (MCL

 

446.201, 446.202, 446.203, 446.205, 446.206, and 446.218), the

 

title and sections 2, 5, and 6 as amended by 2002 PA 469 and

 

sections 1 and 3 as amended by 2006 PA 292.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

 1                              TITLE

 

 2        An act to regulate and license pawnbrokers in certain

 

 3  governmental units of that conduct business in this state; to

 

 4  provide for the implementation, maintenance, and administration

 

 5  of a statewide electronic database of pawned items and certain

 

 6  other articles of personal property; to provide remedies and


 

 1  prescribe penalties; and to prescribe certain provide for the

 

 2  powers and duties of certain local governmental units and state

 

 3  agencies.

 

 4        Sec. 1. (1) A person , corporation, or firm shall not

 

 5  conduct business as a pawnbroker in any of the governmental units

 

 6  of this state without having first obtained from a license issued

 

 7  by the chief executive officer of that governmental unit a

 

 8  license under this act that authorizes that person, corporation,

 

 9  or firm to conduct that business. This However, this subsection

 

10  does not require an internet drop-off store complying that

 

11  complies with subsection (3), or a person an individual who is

 

12  engaged in the sale, purchase, consignment, or trade of personal

 

13  property or other valuable thing for himself or herself, to

 

14  obtain a license under this act.

 

15        (2) Licensure under either or both of the following acts

 

16  does not exempt a person from obtaining a license under this act:

 

17        (a) The Registration under the precious metal and gem dealer

 

18  act, 1981 PA 95, MCL 445.481 to 445.492, .

 

19        (b) does not exempt a person that is conducting business as

 

20  a pawnbroker from the requirement to obtain a license under this

 

21  act. Licensure under 1917 PA 350, MCL 445.401 to 445.408, does

 

22  not exempt a person that is conducting business as a pawnbroker

 

23  from the requirement to obtain a license under this act.

 

24        (3) An A person that operates an internet drop-off store in

 

25  compliance with that meets the following conditions is exempt

 

26  from licensure the requirement to obtain a license as a

 

27  pawnbroker under this act:


 

 1        (a) Has The person has a fixed place of business within in

 

 2  this state. except that he or she

 

 3        (b) The person exclusively transacts all purchases or sales

 

 4  by means of the internet and the purchases and sales are not

 

 5  physically transacted on the premises of that the fixed place of

 

 6  business described in subdivision (a).

 

 7        (c) (b) Has The person has the personal property or other

 

 8  valuable thing available on a website for viewing by photograph,

 

 9  if available, by the general public at no charge, which website

 

10  shall be and the website is searchable by zip code or state, or

 

11  both. The website viewing shall include, as applicable, serial

 

12  number, make, model, and other unique identifying marks, numbers,

 

13  names, or letters appearing on the personal property or other

 

14  valuable thing.

 

15        (d) (c) Maintains The person maintains records of the sale,

 

16  purchase, consignment, or trade of the personal property or other

 

17  valuable thing for at least 2 years. , which The records shall

 

18  contain a description, including a photograph, if available, and,

 

19  if applicable, serial number, make, model, and other unique

 

20  identifying marks, numbers, names, or letters appearing on the

 

21  personal property or other valuable thing.

 

22        (e) (d) Provide the The person provides a local police

 

23  agency with any name under which it conducts business on the

 

24  website and access to the business premises at any time during

 

25  normal business hours for purposes of inspection.

 

26        (f) (e) Within 24 hours after a request from a local police

 

27  agency, provide the person provides an electronic copy of the


 

 1  seller's or consignor's name, address, telephone number, driver

 

 2  license number and issuing state, the buyer's name and address,

 

 3  if applicable, and a description of the personal property or

 

 4  other valuable thing as described in subdivision (c). (d). The

 

 5  provision of person shall provide the information shall be in a

 

 6  format that is acceptable to the local police agency but shall at

 

 7  least be in a legible format and in the English language.

 

 8        (g) (f) Provide The person provides that payment for the

 

 9  personal property or other valuable thing is executed by means of

 

10  check or other electronic payment system , so long as the payment

 

11  is not made and not in cash. No The person shall not provide

 

12  payment shall be provided to the seller until the item is sold.

 

13        (h) (g) Immediately remove The person immediately removes

 

14  the personal property or other valuable thing from the website if

 

15  the local police agency determines that the personal property or

 

16  other valuable thing is stolen.

 

17        Sec. 2. (1) The Subject to subsection (5), the chief

 

18  executive officer of the a governmental unit may grant under his

 

19  or her hand, and the official seal of his or her office, to any

 

20  suitable person, corporation, or firm a license authorizing issue

 

21  a license to any suitable person under this act that authorizes

 

22  that person , corporation, or firm to conduct the business of a

 

23  pawnbroker in that governmental unit, subject to the provisions

 

24  of this act.

 

25        (2) The A license issued under this section shall designate

 

26  the particular place in the governmental unit where that person ,

 

27  corporation, or firm shall conduct the pawnbroker business. A


 

 1  person , corporation, or firm receiving that receives a license

 

 2  under this section shall not conduct the a pawnbroker business in

 

 3  any other place than the place designated in the license.

 

 4        (3) The term of a license issued under this section is 1

 

 5  year, from beginning on the date of issuance. , unless revoked

 

 6  The license is revocable for cause , and is not transferable.

 

 7        (4) Before issuance of the license, the applicant shall pay

 

 8  A chief executive officer shall not issue a license under this

 

 9  section unless the applicant does all of the following at the

 

10  time the application is submitted:

 

11        (a) Pays to the treasurer of the governmental unit an annual

 

12  license fee. in the amount determined under subsection (5) and

 

13  give The governmental unit shall determine the specific amount of

 

14  the annual license fee, but the governmental unit shall not

 

15  establish an annual license fee that is less than $50.00 or more

 

16  than $500.00.

 

17        (b) Provides a bond to the governmental unit that is in its

 

18  corporate name, in the penal sum of $3,000.00, with at least 2

 

19  sureties, that is conditioned for on the faithful performance of

 

20  the duties and obligations pertaining to the conduct of the

 

21  pawnbroker business and for the payment of all costs and damages

 

22  incurred by as a result of any violation of this act, . The

 

23  governmental unit shall approve the bond.and that is satisfactory

 

24  to the governmental unit.

 

25        (5) The governmental unit may fix the amount to be paid as

 

26  the annual license fee at any amount not less than $50.00 or more

 

27  than $500.00.


 

 1        (c) Pays the fee described in section 6(5) to the treasurer

 

 2  of the governmental unit. The treasurer shall forward that fee to

 

 3  the department on receipt.

 

 4        (d) Pays the treasurer of the governmental unit an

 

 5  application processing fee, if any. A governmental unit may

 

 6  establish an application processing fee, in an amount that does

 

 7  not exceed $50.00, for the review and processing of license

 

 8  applications under this section.

 

 9        (e) Pays the treasurer the processing fee described in

 

10  section 6(6), if any.

 

11        (5) (6) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,

 

12  the The authority of a governmental unit to issue a license under

 

13  this act section is limited as follows:

 

14        (a) A county may shall not issue a license for a location

 

15  within in a city or village with that has a population greater of

 

16  more than 3,000.

 

17        (b) A county may shall not issue a license for a location

 

18  within in a city or village with that has a population of 3,000

 

19  or less fewer or within in a township or charter township if that

 

20  city, village, township, or charter township has established the

 

21  license fee pursuant to under subsection (5).(4)(a).

 

22        (c) A township or charter township may shall not issue a

 

23  license for a location within in a village with that has a

 

24  population over of more than 3,000 or a village with that has a

 

25  population of 3,000 or less fewer that has established a an

 

26  annual license fee under subsection (5).(4)(a).

 

27        Sec. 3. As used in this act:


 

 1        (a) "Chief executive officer" means any of the following:

 

 2        (i) For a city, the mayor.

 

 3        (ii) For a village, the village president.

 

 4        (iii) For a township or charter township, the township

 

 5  supervisor.

 

 6        (iv) For a county, the county executive or, if there is no

 

 7  county executive, the person an individual designated by a

 

 8  resolution of the county board of commissioners.

 

 9        (b) "Department" means the department of state police.

 

10        (c) (b) "Governmental unit" means a city, township, charter

 

11  township, county, or incorporated village.

 

12        (d) (c) "Internet drop-off store" means a person ,

 

13  corporation, or firm that contracts with other persons,

 

14  corporations, or firms another person or persons to offer its

 

15  personal property or other valuable thing items for sale,

 

16  purchase, consignment, or trade through means of an internet

 

17  website and meets the conditions described in section 1(3).

 

18        (e) "Item" means an article of personal property or any

 

19  other valuable thing, except securities or printed evidence of

 

20  indebtedness.

 

21        (f) (d) "Local police agency" means the police agency of the

 

22  city, village, or township, or if none, the county sheriff of the

 

23  county, in which the a pawnbroker or internet drop-off store

 

24  conducts business.

 

25        (g) (e) "Pawnbroker" means a person , corporation, or

 

26  member, or members of a copartnership or firm, who that loans

 

27  money on deposit , or pledge of personal property, or other


 

 1  valuable thing, other than securities or printed evidence of

 

 2  indebtedness, or who 1 or more items or that deals in the

 

 3  purchasing of personal property or other valuable thing items on

 

 4  condition of selling the same those items back again at a

 

 5  stipulated price.

 

 6        (h) "Pawned item" means an item taken by a pawnbroker as

 

 7  collateral for a loan.

 

 8        (i) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation,

 

 9  limited liability company, or other legal entity.

 

10        (j) "Purchased item" means an item that is acquired for cash

 

11  by a pawnbroker without the intent to sell or return that item

 

12  back to the seller.

 

13        (k) "Reportable item" means any of the following:

 

14        (i) An item pawned to or purchased by a pawnbroker in this

 

15  state.

 

16        (ii) A precious item received or purchased by a dealer in

 

17  this state under the precious metal and gem dealer act, 1981 PA

 

18  95, MCL 445.481 to 445.492. As used in this subparagraph,

 

19  "dealer" and "precious item" mean those terms as defined in

 

20  section 2 of the precious metal and gem dealer act, 1981 PA 95,

 

21  MCL 445.482.

 

22        (iii) A second hand article purchased or received in exchange

 

23  by a second hand dealer or junk dealer under 1917 PA 350, MCL

 

24  445.401 to 445.408. As used in this subparagraph, "second hand

 

25  dealer" and "junk dealer" mean those terms as defined in section

 

26  3 of 1917 PA 350, MCL 445.403.

 

27        Sec. 5. (1) A pawnbroker shall keep a record prepare in


 

 1  English, at the time the pawnbroker receives any article of

 

 2  personal property or other valuable thing by way of pawn, that

 

 3  includes a description of the article, a sequential transaction

 

 4  number, any amount of money loaned on the article, the name,

 

 5  residence, general description, and driver license number,

 

 6  official state personal identification card number, or government

 

 7  identification number of the person from whom the article was

 

 8  received, and the day and hour when the article was received. and

 

 9  permanently retain, a separate, accurate, and legible record of

 

10  each transaction in which it acquires a pawned item or purchased

 

11  item. The record, the pawnbroker's place where the of business,

 

12  is carried on, and all articles of property items in that place

 

13  of business are subject to examination at any time by the

 

14  attorney of the governmental unit, a local police agency, the

 

15  county prosecuting attorney of the county in which the

 

16  governmental unit is situated, or the department. of state

 

17  police.

 

18        (2) Upon the receipt of any article of personal property or

 

19  other valuable thing by way of pawn, the pawnbroker shall make a

 

20  permanent record of the transaction on a form provided by the

 

21  pawnbroker that substantially complies with the form described in

 

22  subsection (4). Each record of transaction shall be completed in

 

23  duplicate by the pawnbroker, legibly in the English language, and

 

24  shall contain all applicable information required to complete the

 

25  record of transaction form under subsection (4). This subsection

 

26  does not prohibit the use and transmission of the information

 

27  required in the record of the transaction by means of computer or


 

 1  other electronic media as permitted by the local police agency

 

 2  within the applicable governmental unit.

 

 3        (3) The pawnbroker shall retain a record of each transaction

 

 4  and, within 48 hours after the property is received, shall send 1

 

 5  copy of the record of transaction to the local police agency.

 

 6        (4) The record of transaction form shall be 8-1/2 inches by

 

 7  11 inches in size and shall be as follows:

 

 

                    RECORD OF TRANSACTION

                             FRONT

10

11 Article                         |Serial  No.                    |

12                                 |                               |

13 Model No. or Case No.           |Lens No. or Move.  No.         |

14                                 |                               |

15 Trade Name                      |Color  | Size  | No.  Jewels   |

16                                 |       |       |               |

17 Material                     | Stone Set  Design                |

18                              |                                  |

19 Description                  |No.   |Kind of Stone    |Size     |

20                              |      |                 |         |

21                              |      |                 |         |

22 Inscription or Initials      |      |                 |         |

23                              |      |                 |         |

24 Purchase Price | Amt. Loaned |      |                 |         |

25                |             |      |                 |         |

26 Dealer                       |      |                 |         |

27                              |      |                 |         |

28 City                         | Date         | Ticket No.        |

29                              |              |                   |

30   Lady's[]    Gent's []    Wrist []    Pocket []    Lapel  []

 

 

 

31                               BACK

32

33 Operator's License # or Other I.D. #                            |

34                                                                 |

35 Customer's Name (PRINT)                                         |

36                                                                 |

37 Street No. or RFD                                               |

38                                                                 |

39 City and State                                                  |

40                                                                 |

41 Employed By:                    |   Rolled print of right  thumb|

42                                 |   (If impossible  then some   |


Age      Height                 |   other  fingerprint.         |

                                |   Designate  which.)          |

Weight   Race   W []  B [] O  []|                               |

                                |                               |

Time Received:   AM     PM      |                               |

                                |                               |

Mail reports within 48 hours to |                               |

local officers                  |   [] Male          []  Female |

                                |                               |

10 Signature of person taking print|                               |

11                                 |                               |

 

 

12        (2) The record described in subsection (1) must include all

 

13  of the following information about each pawned item or purchased

 

14  item acquired by the pawnbroker:

 

15        (a) A description of the item.

 

16        (b) If applicable, the serial number, model number, case

 

17  number, or lens number of the item.

 

18        (c) If applicable, the item's trade name, color, size,

 

19  number of jewels, material, stone set design, number of stones,

 

20  description, kind, and size of each stone, inscription, or

 

21  initials.

 

22        (d) For a pawned item, the amount loaned on the item.

 

23        (e) For a purchased item, the purchase price of the item.

 

24        (f) The pawnbroker's name and address.

 

25        (g) The date and time of the transaction.

 

26        (h) The transaction number.

 

27        (i) The name and address of the owner of the pawned or

 

28  purchased item.

 

29        (j) The name and operator's license number or other

 

30  identification number of the individual from whom the item was

 

31  received; his or her date of birth, height, gender, weight, and

 

32  race; and his or her signature.


 

 1        Sec. 6. A pawnbroker shall make daily, except Sunday, a

 

 2  sworn statement of his or her transactions, describing the

 

 3  articles received, and setting forth the name, residence, and

 

 4  description of the person from whom the articles were received,

 

 5  to the chief of police or chief law enforcement officer of the

 

 6  governmental unit.

 

 7        (1) Within 48 hours after it receives a pawned item in a

 

 8  transaction described in section 5(1), a pawnbroker shall

 

 9  electronically transmit the information described in section

 

10  5(2)(a), (b), (d), and (f) to (h) for that item to the

 

11  department, in a format determined by the department.

 

12        (2) Within 48 hours after it receives a purchased item in a

 

13  transaction described in section 5(1), a pawnbroker shall

 

14  electronically transmit the information described in section

 

15  5(2)(a), (b), and (e) to (h) for that item to the department, in

 

16  a format determined by the department.

 

17        (3) Within 90 days after the effective date of the

 

18  amendatory act that added this subsection, the department shall

 

19  implement and maintain a statewide electronic database of items.

 

20  All of the following apply to the database:

 

21        (a) The database shall include the information transmitted

 

22  to the department under any of the following:

 

23        (i) Subsection (1) or (2).

 

24        (ii) Section 4a of the precious metal and gem dealer act,

 

25  1981 PA 95, MCL 445.484a.

 

26        (iii) Section 4a of 1917 PA 350, MCL 445.404a.

 

27        (b) Only the department and other law enforcement agencies


 

 1  shall have access to the information in the database.

 

 2        (c) The department may operate the database or may select

 

 3  and contract with a single third-party provider to operate the

 

 4  database. If the department contracts with a third-party provider

 

 5  for the operation of the database, all information obtained from

 

 6  any of the following shall be electronically stored in the

 

 7  department:

 

 8        (i) Pawnbrokers under this section.

 

 9        (ii) Dealers under the precious metal and gem dealer act,

 

10  1981 PA 95, MCL 445.481 to 445.492. As used in this subparagraph,

 

11  "dealer" means that term as defined in section 2 of the precious

 

12  metal and gem dealer act, 1981 PA 95, MCL 445.482.

 

13        (iii) Second hand dealers or junk dealers under 1917 PA 350,

 

14  MCL 445.401 to 445.408. As used in this subparagraph, "second

 

15  hand dealer" and "junk dealer" mean those terms as defined in

 

16  section 3 of 1917 PA 350, MCL 445.403.

 

17        (d) Information in the database is confidential, is not

 

18  subject to disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976

 

19  PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246, and shall not be disclosed to any

 

20  person except for purposes of this act and for law enforcement

 

21  purposes.

 

22        (4) By July 1, 2015, each pawnbroker shall implement any

 

23  software that the department determines is necessary to

 

24  administer the collection of information required under this

 

25  section.

 

26        (5) Each pawnbroker shall pay an annual fee of not more than

 

27  $250.00 for each of its licensed locations for the implementation


 

 1  and maintenance of the database described in this section. The

 

 2  department shall determine the specific amount of the fee. The

 

 3  treasurer of each governmental unit shall collect the fee on

 

 4  behalf of the department under section 2(4)(c).

 

 5        (6) The treasurer of a governmental unit that collects a

 

 6  database fee on behalf of the department may charge and collect a

 

 7  fee for processing the database fee. The amount of a processing

 

 8  fee under this subsection shall not exceed $50.00. As used in

 

 9  this subsection, "database fee" means the fee described in

 

10  subsection (5).

 

11        Sec. 18. (1) Any person who shall violate any of the

 

12  provisions of this act, whether as owner, or as clerk, agent,

 

13  servant or employe, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon

 

14  conviction thereof in any court of competent jurisdiction be

 

15  fined not less than 25 dollars nor more than 100 dollars, or by

 

16  imprisonment in the county jail not less than 10 days nor more

 

17  than 3 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the

 

18  discretion of the court.A pawnbroker that knowingly violates this

 

19  act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not

 

20  more than 1 year or a fine of $1,000.00, or both.

 

21        (2) A pawnbroker that violates this act a subsequent time is

 

22  guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2

 

23  years or a fine of $5,000.00, or both.

 

24        Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect January

 

25  1, 2015.

 

26        Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

27  unless all of the following bills of the 97th Legislature are


 

 1  enacted into law:

 

 2        (a) Senate Bill No. ____ or House Bill No. 5835 (request no.

 

 3  04964'14 *).

 

 4        (b) Senate Bill No. ____ or House Bill No. 5836 (request no.

 

 5  04965'14 *).