Within the next several days, West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise is expected to sign legislation into law limiting direct mail credit card solicitations to students at the state’s 15 colleges and universities.
The measure, S-217, won final legislative approval earlier in the month.
It is designed to keep thousands of students at the state’s colleges and universities from jeopardizing their education by amassing large debt through the use of unsolicited credit cards, according to the bill’s sponsors.
The legislation would give college and university administrators the power to allow or deny credit grantors the use of student lists for marketing purposes. They would also be required to submit a list of rules for on-campus credit card solicitations to the state’s Higher Education Policy Commission for final approval by July 1, 2003.
In those rules, colleges and universities could require credit grantors to register with them before soliciting their student body. The rules would also prohibit students from receiving “tangible gifts” from a credit card company just for completing a credit card application.
West Virginia colleges and universities would also be required to develop a credit card debt-education presentation to be incorporated into orientation programs offered to new students.
The measure would limit the financial liability of parents and guardians of students who fail to pay their credit card bills.
The legislation is sponsored by Democrat State Sen. Marie Redd, Joseph Minard and Mark Burnette. Republican Sen. Frank Deem and Andy McKenzie are co-sponsors.
