A new bill filed by State Rep. Brenden H. Jones seeks to update and expand regulations on debt settlement to protect consumers and clarify related legal definitions, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 734 on April 2 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Modernize Debt Settlement Prohibition.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill seeks to modernize and expand the prohibition on debt settlement by categorizing it as an unfair trade practice. It revises and clarifies definitions associated with debt adjusting and includes debt settlement as a form of this activity. The bill expands civil remedies for debtors and specifies that contracts for debt settlement are void against public policy. It outlines entities exempted from being categorized as debt adjusters, including employees managing employer debts, court-mandated actions, and certain credit counseling organizations meeting specific criteria. Unauthorized debt settlement acts are penalized as misdemeanors, and the superior court can enjoin such practices as unfair trade practices. This bill will be effective July 1, 2025.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Mitchell S. Setzer proposed the most bills (32) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Jones, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 46th House district, replacing previous state representative Ken Waddell.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brenden H. Jones, Julia C. Howard, Mitchell S. Setzer, and Ya Liu | HB 734 | 04/02/2025 | Modernize Debt Settlement Prohibition. |
| Brenden H. Jones, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Carson Smith, and Charles W. Miller | HB 695 | 04/02/2025 | Support VIPER/Assist 911 Operations/Dispatch. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Allen Chesser, David Willis, and Grant L. Campbell, MD | HB 572 | 03/27/2025 | Veterans/eTMS Pilot Program. |
| Brenden H. Jones, John A. Torbett, Keith Kidwell, and Mitchell S. Setzer | HB 549 | 03/26/2025 | Clarify Powers of State Auditor. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Kyle Hall, Stephen M. Ross, and Steve Tyson | HB 506 | 03/24/2025 | 2025 State Investment Modernization Act.-AB |
| Brenden H. Jones, Jeffrey C. McNeely, Kyle Hall, and Mike Schietzelt | HB 469 | 03/20/2025 | Restoring Rivalries Act. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Stephen M. Ross, and Steve Tyson | HB 421 | 03/17/2025 | Motor Vehicle Dealers. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Stephen M. Ross, and Steve Tyson | HB 406 | 03/13/2025 | Clarify Motor Vehicle Dealer Laws. |
| Brenden H. Jones, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Charles W. Miller, and Dudley Greene | HB 354 | 03/10/2025 | Civil Procedure/Gatekeeper Orders/Database. |
| Brenden H. Jones, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Charles W. Miller, and Dudley Greene | HB 355 | 03/10/2025 | OSFM to Study Future of Rural Firefighting. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Frank Iler, Karl E. Gillespie, and Steve Tyson | HB 295 | 03/05/2025 | Req. DOT to Install Prop. Corner Markers. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Celeste C. Cairns, Howard Penny, Jr., and William D. Brisson | HB 296 | 03/05/2025 | Corn Farmer Recovery Act – Phase I. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Brian Echevarria, Carson Smith, and Destin Hall | HB 318 | 03/05/2025 | The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Celeste C. Cairns, Kyle Hall, and Mike Clampitt | HB 276 | 03/04/2025 | Align Benefits for Firefighters with Cancer. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Brian Biggs, Brian Echevarria, and Neal Jackson | HB 244 | 02/27/2025 | Depoliticize Government Property Act. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Allen Chesser, Bill Ward, and Jarrod Lowery | HB 224 | 02/26/2025 | Strengthen Our Tribal Communities Act. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Carson Smith, and Jake Johnson | HB 218 | 02/25/2025 | Emergency Info on DMV Applications. |
| Brenden H. Jones | HB 220 | 02/25/2025 | Tabor City/Certain Public Enterprise Funds. |
| Brenden H. Jones | HB 221 | 02/25/2025 | Tabor City/Railroad Revitalization Project. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Jake Johnson, Jarrod Lowery, and Matthew Winslow | HB 222 | 02/25/2025 | C.O.O.P.E.R. Accountability Act. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Blair Eddins, Jarrod Lowery, and Neal Jackson | HB 171 | 02/21/2025 | Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI. |
| Brenden H. Jones | HB 116 | 02/12/2025 | Local Bd. of Ed. Election Changes. |
| Brenden H. Jones, Allen Chesser, Heather H. Rhyne, and Jay Adams | HB 35 | 02/03/2025 | Establish Military Appreciation Month. |
