Z‑0427.5   _____________________________________________

 

SENATE BILL 5449

 

           _____________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Senators Prentice, Long, Winsley, Gardner, Franklin, Costa, Rasmussen and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Attorney General

 

Read first time 01/23/2001.  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce & Financial Institutions.

_1      AN ACT Relating to identity theft; amending RCW 19.16.250,

_2  9.35.010, 9.35.020, and 9.35.030; adding new sections to chapter

_3  9.35 RCW; creating a new section; and prescribing penalties.

     

_4  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     

_5      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9.35 RCW

_6  to read as follows:

_7      DEFINITIONS.  The definitions in this section apply throughout

_8  this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

_9      (1) "Financial information" means any of the following

10  information identifiable to the individual that concerns the

11  amount and conditions of an individual's assets, liabilities, or

12  credit:

13      (a) Account numbers and balances;

14      (b) Transactional information concerning an account; and

15      (c) Codes, passwords, social security numbers, tax

16  identification numbers, driver's license or permit numbers, state

17  identicard numbers issued by the department of licensing, and

                               p. 1                       SB 5449

_1  other information held for the purpose of account access or

_2  transaction initiation.

_3      (2) "Financial information repository" means a person engaged

_4  in the business of providing services to customers who have a

_5  credit, deposit, trust, stock, or other financial account or

_6  relationship with the person.

_7      (3) "Means of identification" means information or an item that

_8  is not describing finances or credit but is personal to or

_9  identifiable with an individual or other person, including:  A

10  current or former name of the person, telephone number, an

11  electronic address, or identifier of the individual or a member of

12  his or her family, including the ancestor of the person;

13  information relating to a change in name, address, telephone

14  number, or electronic address or identifier of the individual or

15  his or her family; a social security, driver's license, or tax

16  identification number of the individual or a member of his or her

17  family; and other information that could be used to identify the

18  person, including unique biometric data.

19      (4) "Person" means a person as defined in RCW 9A.04.110.

20      (5) "Victim" means a person whose means of identification or

21  financial information has been used or transferred with the intent

22  to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity.

     

23      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 9.35 RCW

24  to read as follows:

25      INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO VICTIM.  (1) A person, financial

26  information repository, merchant, corporation, trust, partnership,

27  or unincorporated association possessing information relating to

28  an actual or potential violation of this chapter, and who may have

29  entered into a transaction, provided credit, products, goods, or

30  services, accepted payment, or otherwise done business with a

31  person who has used the victim's means of identification, must,

32  upon request of the victim, provide copies of all relevant

33  application and transaction information related to the transaction

34  being alleged as a potential or actual violation of this chapter.

35      (2) Before providing the information required under subsection

36  (1) of this section, the provider may require the victim to

37  provide positive identification of their identity and a copy of a

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_1  police report evidencing the victim's claim.  The provider may

_2  require reasonable compensation for the reasonable cost of

_3  providing the information requested.

_4      (3) No person, financial information repository, merchant,

_5  corporation, trust, partnership, or unincorporated association may

_6  be held liable for an action voluntarily taken in good faith to

_7  provide information regarding potential or actual violations of

_8  this chapter to other financial information repositories,

_9  merchants, law enforcement authorities, the victim, or any person

10  alleging to be a victim who provides positive identification and a

11  copy of a police report evidencing the alleged victim's claim for

12  the purpose of identification and prosecution of violators of this

13  chapter, or to assist a victim in recovery of fines, restitution,

14  rehabilitation of the victim's credit, or such other relief as may

15  be appropriate.

     

16      Sec. 3.  RCW 19.16.250 and 1983 c 107 s 1 are each amended to read

17  as follows:

18      No licensee or employee of a licensee shall:

19      (1) Directly or indirectly aid or abet any unlicensed person to

20  engage in business as a collection agency in this state or receive

21  compensation from such unlicensed person:  PROVIDED, That nothing in

22  this chapter shall prevent a licensee from accepting, as

23  forwardee, claims for collection from a collection agency or

24  attorney whose place of business is outside the state.

25      (2) Collect or attempt to collect a claim by the use of any

26  means contrary to the postal laws and regulations of the United

27  States postal department.

28      (3) Publish or post or cause to be published or posted, any

29  list of debtors commonly known as "bad debt lists" or threaten to

30  do so.  For purposes of this chapter, a "bad debt list" means any

31  list of natural persons alleged to fail to honor their lawful

32  debts.  However, nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit a

33  licensee from communicating to its customers or clients by means

34  of a coded list, the existence of a check dishonored because of

35  insufficient funds, not sufficient funds or closed account by the

36  financial institution servicing the debtor's checking account:

37  PROVIDED, That the debtor's identity is not readily apparent:

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_1  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the licensee complies with the requirements

_2  of subsection (9)(e) of this section.

_3      (4) Have in his possession or make use of any badge, use a

_4  uniform of any law enforcement agency or any simulation thereof,

_5  or make any statements which might be construed as indicating an

_6  official connection with any federal, state, county, or city law

_7  enforcement agency, or any other governmental agency, while

_8  engaged in collection agency business.

_9      (5) Perform any act or acts, either directly or indirectly,

10  constituting the practice of law.

11      (6) Advertise for sale or threaten to advertise for sale any

12  claim as a means of endeavoring to enforce payment thereof or

13  agreeing to do so for the purpose of soliciting claims, except

14  where the licensee has acquired claims as an assignee for the

15  benefit of creditors or where the licensee is acting under court

16  order.

17      (7) Use any name while engaged in the making of a demand for

18  any claim other than the name set forth on his or its current

19  license issued hereunder.

20      (8) Give or send to any debtor or cause to be given or sent to

21  any debtor, any notice, letter, message, or form which represents

22  or implies that a claim exists unless it shall indicate in clear

23  and legible type:

24      (a) The name of the licensee and the city, street, and number

25  at which he is licensed to do business;

26      (b) The name of the original creditor to whom the debtor owed

27  the claim if such name is known to the licensee or employee:

28  PROVIDED, That upon written request of the debtor, the licensee

29  shall make a reasonable effort to obtain the name of such person

30  and provide this name to the debtor;

31      (c) If the notice, letter, message, or form is the first notice

32  to the debtor or if the licensee is attempting to collect a

33  different amount than indicated in his or its first notice to the

34  debtor, an itemization of the claim asserted must be made

35  including:

36      (i) Amount owing on the original obligation at the time it was

37  received by the licensee for collection or by assignment;

38      (ii) Interest or service charge, collection costs, or late

SB 5449                        p. 4

_1  payment charges, if any, added to the original obligation by the

_2  original creditor, customer or assignor before it was received by

_3  the licensee for collection, if such information is known by the

_4  licensee or employee:  PROVIDED, That upon written request of the

_5  debtor, the licensee shall make a reasonable effort to obtain

_6  information on such items and provide this information to the

_7  debtor;

_8      (iii) Interest or service charge, if any, added by the licensee

_9  or customer or assignor after the obligation was received by the

10  licensee for collection;

11      (iv) Collection costs, if any, that the licensee is attempting

12  to collect;

13      (v) Attorneys' fees, if any, that the licensee is attempting to

14  collect on his or its behalf or on the behalf of a customer or

15  assignor;

16      (vi) Any other charge or fee that the licensee is attempting to

17  collect on his or its own behalf or on the behalf of a customer or

18  assignor.

19      (9) Communicate or threaten to communicate, the existence of a

20  claim to a person other than one who might be reasonably expected

21  to be liable on the claim in any manner other than through proper

22  legal action, process, or proceedings except under the following

23  conditions:

24      (a) A licensee or employee of a licensee may inform a credit

25  reporting bureau of the existence of a claim:  PROVIDED, That if the

26  licensee or employee of a licensee reports a claim to a credit

27  reporting bureau, the licensee shall upon receipt of written

28  notice from the debtor that any part of the claim is disputed,

29  forward a copy of such written notice to the credit reporting

30  bureau;

31      (b) A licensee or employee in collecting or attempting to

32  collect a claim may communicate the existence of a claim to a

33  debtor's employer if the claim has been reduced to a judgment;

34      (c) A licensee or employee in collecting or attempting to

35  collect a claim that has not been reduced to judgment, may

36  communicate the existence of a claim to a debtor's employer if:

37      (i) The licensee or employee has notified or attempted to

38  notify the debtor in writing at his last known address or place of

                               p. 5                       SB 5449

_1  employment concerning the claim and the debtor after a reasonable

_2  time has failed to pay the claim or has failed to agree to make

_3  payments on the claim in a manner acceptable to the licensee, and

_4      (ii) The debtor has not in writing to the licensee disputed any

_5  part of the claim:  PROVIDED, That the licensee or employee may only

_6  communicate the existence of a claim which has not been reduced to

_7  judgment to the debtor's employer once unless the debtor's

_8  employer has agreed to additional communications.

_9      (d) A licensee may for the purpose of locating the debtor or

10  locating assets of the debtor communicate the existence of a claim

11  to any person who might reasonably be expected to have knowledge

12  of the whereabouts of a debtor or the location of assets of the

13  debtor if the claim is reduced to judgment, or if not reduced to

14  judgment, when:

15      (i) The licensee or employee has notified or attempted to

16  notify the debtor in writing at his last known address or last

17  known place of employment concerning the claim and the debtor

18  after a reasonable time has failed to pay the claim or has failed

19  to agree to make payments on the claim in a manner acceptable to

20  the licensee, and

21      (ii) The debtor has not in writing disputed any part of the

22  claim.

23      (e) A licensee may communicate the existence of a claim to its

24  customers or clients if the claim is reduced to judgment, or if

25  not reduced to judgment, when:

26      (i) The licensee has notified or attempted to notify the debtor

27  in writing at his last known address or last known place of

28  employment concerning the claim and the debtor after a reasonable

29  time has failed to pay the claim or has failed to agree to make

30  payments on the claim in a manner acceptable to the licensee, and

31      (ii) The debtor has not in writing disputed any part of the

32  claim.

33      (10) Threaten the debtor with impairment of his credit rating

34  if a claim is not paid.

35      (11) Communicate with the debtor after notification in writing

36  from an attorney representing such debtor that all further

37  communications relative to a claim should be addressed to the

38  attorney:  PROVIDED, That if a licensee requests in writing

SB 5449                        p. 6

_1  information from an attorney regarding such claim and the attorney

_2  does not respond within a reasonable time, the licensee may

_3  communicate directly with the debtor until he or it again receives

_4  notification in writing that an attorney is representing the

_5  debtor.

_6      (12) Communicate with a debtor or anyone else in such a manner

_7  as to harass, intimidate, threaten, or embarrass a debtor,

_8  including but not limited to communication at an unreasonable

_9  hour, with unreasonable frequency, by threats of force or

10  violence, by threats of criminal prosecution, and by use of

11  offensive language.  A communication shall be presumed to have been

12  made for the purposes of harassment if:

13      (a) It is made with a debtor or spouse in any form, manner, or

14  place, more than three times in a single week;

15      (b) It is made with a debtor at his or her place of employment

16  more than one time in a single week;

17      (c) It is made with the debtor or spouse at his or her place of

18  residence between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.

19      (13) Communicate with the debtor through use of forms or

20  instruments that simulate the form or appearance of judicial

21  process, the form or appearance of government documents, or the

22  simulation of a form or appearance of a telegraphic or emergency

23  message.

24      (14) Communicate with the debtor and represent or imply that

25  the existing obligation of the debtor may be or has been increased

26  by the addition of attorney fees, investigation fees, service

27  fees, or any other fees or charges when in fact such fees or

28  charges may not legally be added to the existing obligation of

29  such debtor.

30      (15) Threaten to take any action against the debtor which the

31  licensee cannot legally take at the time the threat is made.

32      (16) Send any telegram or make any telephone calls to a debtor

33  or concerning a debt or for the purpose of demanding payment of a

34  claim or seeking information about a debtor, for which the charges

35  are payable by the addressee or by the person to whom the call is

36  made.

37      (17) In any manner convey the impression that the licensee is

                               p. 7                       SB 5449

_1  vouched for, bonded to or by, or is an instrumentality of the

_2  state of Washington or any agency or department thereof.

_3      (18) Collect or attempt to collect in addition to the principal

_4  amount of a claim any sum other than allowable interest,

_5  collection costs or handling fees expressly authorized by statute,

_6  and, in the case of suit, attorney's fees and taxable court costs.

_7      (19) Procure from a debtor or collect or attempt to collect on

_8  any written note, contract, stipulation, promise or acknowledgment

_9  under which a debtor may be required to pay any sum other than

10  principal, allowable interest, and, in the case of suit,

11  attorney's fees and taxable court costs.

12      (20) Upon notification by a debtor that the debtor disputes all

13  debts arising from a series of dishonored checks or other

14  preprinted written instruments, initiate oral contact with a

15  debtor more than one time in an attempt to collect from the debtor

16  debts arising from the identified series of dishonored checks or

17  other preprinted written instruments when (a) within the previous

18  one hundred eighty days, in response to the licensee's attempt to

19  collect the initial debt assigned to the licensee and arising from

20  the identified series of dishonored checks or other preprinted

21  written instruments, the debtor in writing notified the licensee

22  that the debtor's checkbook or other series of preprinted written

23  instruments was stolen or fraudulently created; (b) the licensee

24  has received from the debtor a certified copy of a police report

25  referencing the theft or fraudulent creation of the checkbook or

26  series of preprinted written instruments; (c) in the written

27  notification to the licensee or in the police report, the debtor

28  identified the financial institution where the account was

29  maintained, the account number, and the check numbers of the

30  stolen checks or other preprinted written instruments, which check

31  numbers included the number of the check that is the subject of

32  the licensee's collection efforts; (d) the debtor provides, or

33  within the previous one hundred eighty days provided, to the

34  licensee a legible copy of a government-issued photo

35  identification which contains the debtor's signature and which was

36  issued prior to the date of the theft or fraud identified in the

37  police report; and (e) the debtor advised the licensee that the

SB 5449                        p. 8

_1  subject debt is disputed because the identified check or other

_2  preprinted written instrument underlying the debt is a stolen or

_3  fraudulently created check or instrument.

_4      The licensee is not in violation of this subsection if the

_5  licensee initiates oral contact with the debtor more than one time

_6  in an attempt to collect debts arising from the identified series

_7  of dishonored checks or other preprinted written instruments

_8  when:  (i) The licensee acted in good faith and relied on their

_9  established practices and procedures for batching or packeting

10  debtor accounts, and the licensee inadvertently initiates oral

11  contact with the debtor in an attempt to collect debts in the

12  identified series subsequent to the initial debt assigned to the

13  licensee; or (ii) the licensee is following up on collection of a

14  debt assigned to the licensee, and the debtor has previously

15  requested more information from the licensee regarding the subject

16  debt; or (iii) the debtor has notified the licensee that the

17  debtor disputes only some, but not all the debts arising from the

18  identified series of dishonored checks or other preprinted written

19  instruments, in which case the licensee shall be allowed to

20  initiate oral contact with the debtor one time for each debt

21  arising from the series of identified checks or written

22  instruments and may initiate additional oral contact for those

23  debts that the debtor acknowledges do not arise from stolen or

24  fraudulently created checks or written instruments; or (iv) the

25  oral contact is in the context of a judicial, administrative,

26  arbitration, mediation, or similar proceeding.

     

27      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 9.35 RCW

28  to read as follows:

29      BLOCK OF INFORMATION APPEARING AS A RESULT OF IDENTITY

30  THEFT.  (1) If a consumer submits to a consumer reporting agency a

31  certified copy of a police report setting forth facts establishing

32  probable cause of a violation of this chapter, the consumer

33  reporting agency shall promptly and permanently block reporting

34  any information that the consumer identifies on his or her credit

35  report is a result of a violation of this chapter, so that the

36  information cannot be reported.  The consumer reporting agency shall

                               p. 9                       SB 5449

_1  promptly notify the furnisher of the information that the

_2  information has been so blocked.

_3      (2) Furnishers of information and consumer reporting agencies

_4  may rescind any block of credit information if:

_5      (a) The information was blocked due to a material

_6  misrepresentation of fact by the consumer;

_7      (b) The consumer agrees that the blocked information or

_8  portions of the blocked information were blocked in error; or

_9      (c) The consumer knowingly obtained possession of goods,

10  services, or moneys as a result of the blocked transaction or

11  transactions or the consumer should have known that he or she

12  obtained possession of goods, services, or moneys as a result of

13  the blocked transaction or transactions.

14      (3) If the block of information is rescinded under this

15  section, the consumer shall be promptly notified in the same

16  manner as consumers are notified of the reinsertion of information

17  pursuant to section 611 of the fair credit reporting act, 15

18  U.S.C. Sec. 1681I, as amended.  The prior presence of the blocked

19  information in the consumer reporting agency's file on the

20  consumer is not evidence of whether the consumer knew or should

21  have known that he or she obtained possession of any goods,

22  services, or moneys.

     

23      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 9.35 RCW

24  to read as follows:

25      The legislature finds that the practices covered by this

26  chapter are matters vitally affecting the public interest for the

27  purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86

28  RCW.  Violations of this chapter are not reasonable in relation to

29  the development and preservation of business.  A violation of this

30  chapter is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an

31  unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying the

32  consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.

33      Nothing in this chapter limits a victim's ability to receive

34  treble damages under RCW 19.86.090.

     

35      Sec. 6.  RCW 9.35.010 and 1999 c 368 s 2 are each amended to read

36  as follows:

 

SB 5449                        p. 10

_1      (1) No person may obtain or attempt to obtain, or disclose,

_2  cause to be disclosed, or attempt to cause to be disclosed to any

_3  person, financial information from a financial information

_4  repository:

_5      (a) By knowingly making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent

_6  statement or representation to an officer, employee, or agent of a

_7  financial information repository with the intent to deceive the

_8  officer, employee, or agent into relying on that statement or

_9  representation for purposes of releasing the financial

10  information;

11      (b) By knowingly making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent

12  statement or representation to a customer of a financial

13  information repository with the intent to deceive the customer

14  into releasing financial information or authorizing the release of

15  such information;

16      (c) By knowingly providing any document to an officer,

17  employee, or agent of a financial information repository, knowing

18  that the document is forged, counterfeit, lost, or stolen; was

19  fraudulently obtained; or contains a false, fictitious, or

20  fraudulent statement or representation, if the document is

21  provided with the intent to deceive the officer, employee, or

22  agent to release the financial information.

23      (2) No person may request another person to obtain financial

24  information from a financial information repository and knows or

25  should have known that the person will obtain or attempt to obtain

26  the information from the financial institution repository in any

27  manner described in subsection (1) of this section.

28      (3) ((As used in this section, unless the context clearly

29  requires otherwise:

30      (a) "Financial information" means, to the extent it is

31  nonpublic, any of the following information identifiable to the

32  individual that concerns the amount and conditions of an

33  individual's assets, liabilities, or credit:

34      (i) Account numbers and balances;

35      (ii) Transactional information concerning any account; and

36      (iii) Codes, passwords, social security numbers, tax

37  identification numbers, driver's license or permit numbers, state

                               p. 11                       SB 5449

_1  identicard numbers issued by the department of licensing, and

_2  other information held for the purpose of account access or

_3  transaction initiation.

_4      (b) "Financial information repository" means any person engaged

_5  in the business of providing services to customers who have a

_6  credit, deposit, trust, stock, or other financial account or

_7  relationship with the person.

_8      (c) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, or

_9  association.

10      (4))) No provision of this section shall be construed so as to

11  prevent any action by a law enforcement agency, or any officer,

12  employee, or agent of such agency, or any action of an agent of

13  the financial information repository when working in conjunction

14  with a law enforcement agency.

15      (((5))) (4) This section does not apply to:

16      (a) Efforts by the financial information repository to test

17  security procedures or systems of the financial institution

18  repository for maintaining the confidentiality of customer

19  information;

20      (b) Investigation of alleged employee misconduct or negligence;

21  or

22      (c) Efforts to recover financial or personal information of the

23  financial institution obtained or received by another person in

24  any manner described in subsection (1) or (2) of this section.

25      (((6))) (5) Violation of this section is a class C felony.

26      (((7))) (6) A person ((that [who])) who violates this section

27  is liable for five hundred dollars or actual damages, whichever is

28  greater, and reasonable attorneys' fees.  ((If the person violating

29  this section is a business that repeatedly violates this section,

30  that person also violates the Consumer Protection Act, chapter

31  19.86 RCW.))

     

32      Sec. 7.  RCW 9.35.020 and 1999 c 368 s 3 are each amended to read

33  as follows:

34      (1) No person may knowingly obtain, possess, use, or

35  ((knowingly)) transfer a means of identification or financial

36  information of another person, living or dead, with the intent to

SB 5449                        p. 12

_1  commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity ((harming or

_2  intending to harm the person whose identity is used, or for

_3  committing any felony.

_4      (2) For purposes of this section, "means of identification"

_5  means any information or item that is not describing finances or

_6  credit but is personal to or identifiable with any individual or

_7  other person, including any current or former name of the person,

_8  telephone number, and electronic address or identifier of the

_9  individual or any member of his or her family, including the

10  ancestor of such person; any information relating to a change in

11  name, address, telephone number, or electronic address or

12  identifier of the individual or his or her family; any social

13  security, driver's license, or tax identification number of the

14  individual or any member of his or her family; and other

15  information which could be used to identify the person, including

16  unique biometric data)).

17      (((3))) (2)(a) Violation of this section when the aggregate

18  total of credit, money, goods, services, or anything else of value

19  is obtained that exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars in

20  value is a class B felony.

21      (b) Violation of this section when the aggregate total of

22  credit, money, goods, services, or anything else of value is not

23  obtained, or that is obtained but does not exceed one thousand

24  five hundred dollars in value is a class C felony.

25      (((4))) (3) A person ((that [who])) who violates this section

26  is liable for civil damages or five hundred dollars or actual

27  damages, whichever is greater, including costs to repair the

28  ((person's)) victim's credit record, ((whichever is greater,)) and

29  reasonable attorneys' fees((.  If the person violating this section

30  is a business that repeatedly violates this section, that person

31  also violates the Consumer Protection Act, chapter 19.86 RCW)) as

32  determined by the court.

33      (4) In a proceeding under this section, the crime will be

34  considered to have been committed in any locality where the person

35  whose means of identification or financial information was

36  appropriated resides, or in which any part of the offense took

37  place, regardless of whether the defendant was ever actually in

38  that locality.

                               p. 13                       SB 5449

 

_1      (5) The provisions of this section do not apply to any person

_2  who obtains another person's driver's license or other form of

_3  identification for the sole purpose of misrepresenting his or her

_4  age.

_5      (6) In a proceeding under this section in which a person's

_6  means of identification or financial information was used without

_7  that person's authorization, and when there has been a conviction,

_8  the sentencing court may issue such orders as are necessary to

_9  correct a public record that contains false information resulting

10  from a violation of this section.

     

11      Sec. 8.  RCW 9.35.030 and 2000 c 77 s 1 are each amended to read as

12  follows:

13      (1) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly use a means of

14  identification or financial information of another person to

15  solicit undesired mail with the intent to annoy, harass,

16  intimidate, torment, or embarrass that person.

17      (2) ((For purposes of this section, "means of identification"

18  has the meaning provided in RCW 9.35.020.

19      (3))) Violation of this section is a misdemeanor.

20      (((4))) (3) Additionally, a person who violates this section is

21  liable for civil damages of five hundred dollars or actual

22  damages, including costs to repair the person's credit record,

23  whichever is greater, and reasonable attorneys' fees as determined

24  by the court.

     

25      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  Captions used in this act are not any part

26  of the law.

 

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

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