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<section article="gsf" article_name="State Finance and Procurement" number="3-304" title_number="3" title_name="Budget and Management" subtitle_number="3">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In carrying out its responsibilities, the Central Collection Unit may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>institute, in its name, any action that is available under State law for collection of a debt or claim; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>without suit, settle the debt or claim;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>for all debts or claims collected on or after June 1, 1992:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>in addition to the outstanding principal and interest, assess and collect from the debtor a fee, which may not exceed 20% of the outstanding principal and interest, sufficient to cover all collection and administrative costs; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>prior to crediting any amount to any agency which refers a debt for any purpose, withhold a fee sufficient to cover all collection and administrative costs;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>waive or reduce any fee assessed under paragraph (2) of this subsection;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>certify a debt or claim and the debtor responsible for the debt or claim to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the Comptroller for income tax refund interception in accordance with Title 13, Subtitle 9 of the Tax – General Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency for State lottery prize interception in accordance with § 3–307 of this subtitle; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a video lottery operator, as defined in § 9–1A–01 of the State Government Article, for prize interception in accordance with § 3–308 of this subtitle; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>if the Board of Public Works determines the federal government to be delinquent in federal funds owed to the State under § 10–208 of this article, in consultation with the Attorney General:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>collect federal funds owed to the State;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>place liens on federal property in the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>direct the Comptroller to withhold payments to the federal government as provided under § 4–115 of the State Government Article.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>In addition to the authority provided under subsection (a) of this section, and notwithstanding that the Central Collection Unit is a unit of the State government and that assistant Attorneys General represent the Unit, the Unit may enforce a statutory or written contractual obligation of a debtor to pay costs in addition to principal, including collection costs, counsel fees, or interest penalties.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Central Collection Unit may report any account referred to it under this section to a consumer reporting agency.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Notwithstanding the provisions of § 9–602 of the Criminal Law Article, and subject to paragraphs (2) through (5) of this subsection, the Central Collection Unit may manage the monitoring and recording of incoming telephone calls:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>to the automated call distribution system; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for training and quality control purposes.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any monitored or recorded telephone call shall contain a notice to the telephone caller that “Your call may be recorded or monitored for training and quality control purposes”.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Central Collection Unit may not record or monitor calls to or from a direct individual line of an employee of the Central Collection Unit.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The recording of an incoming telephone call to an employee of the Central Collection Unit may not be offered as evidence in a criminal or civil proceeding against any caller unless:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the caller has made a personal or imminent threat against an employee or property of the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the caller or caller’s representative first introduces the contents or existence of the recorded telephone call in the criminal or civil proceeding.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>A recording of a telephone call may not be retained by the Central Collection Unit for longer than 60 days, unless the recording is being used or is to be used:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>for training or quality control purposes; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>in a criminal or civil proceeding under paragraph (4) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
