CGS § 36a-649. Definitions.

As used in this section and sections 36a-650 and 36a-651:

(1) “Claim” means a right to receive payment of a credit card debt;

(2) “Claimant” means an entity that has, or purports to have, a claim against a debtor arising from coerced debt or allegedly coerced debt, and includes a consumer collection agency, as defined in section 36a-800, to collect said debt, or such entity's successor or assignee;

(3) “Coerced debt” means any debt incurred in the name of a debtor who is a victim of domestic violence, as defined in subsection (b) of section 46b-1, when such debt was incurred in response to any duress, intimidation, threat of force, force or undue influence used to specifically coerce the debtor into incurring such debt;

(4) “Collection activities” means any activity of a claimant to collect or to attempt to collect a debt owed, due or asserted to be owed or due, including, but not limited to, commencing or proceeding with an action in a court of competent jurisdiction;

(5) “Credit rating agency” has the same meaning as provided in section 36a-695;

(6) “Debt” means an unsecured credit card debt, or any portion of an unsecured credit card debt, incurred on or after January 1, 2025, for personal, family or household use that (A) was not subject to a final judgment in an action for dissolution of marriage or collection matter which occurred prior to the time when a debtor requests that the claimant waive such debt; or (B) was incurred more than ten years prior to the date of the request;

(7) “Debtor” means an individual against whom a claimant asserts a claim arising from coerced debt or allegedly coerced debt;

(8) “Immediate family member” has the same meaning as provided in section 36a-485;

(9) “Negative information” has the same meaning as provided in 15 USC 1681s-2, as amended from time to time;

(10) “Qualified third-party professional” means a domestic violence counselor or sexual assault counselor, as those terms are defined in section 52-146k, a psychiatrist licensed under chapter 370, a psychologist licensed under chapter 383, a clinical social worker licensed under chapter 383b, a marital and family therapist licensed under chapter 383a and a professional counselor licensed under chapter 383c; and

(11) “Requests that the claimant waive such debt” means a request that a claimant waive, forgive, excuse, write off or not collect a debt or portion of a debt.