(1) Repealed.

(2) The administrator is authorized to approve or deny any application submitted pursuant to this article 16 and to issue any license authorized by this article 16.

(3) Any complaint received by the administrator regarding violations of this article 16 by an attorney shall be forwarded to the supreme court's attorney regulation counsel.

(4) The administrator shall enforce the provisions of article 17 of this title 5 pursuant to section 5-17-111.

(5) The administrator shall prepare a report accounting for the efficient discharge of all responsibilities assigned by law and the general administration of the program on a biannual basis. In addition to any other information deemed relevant by the administrator, the biannual report shall address with specificity the following: Enforcement actions completed and whether those actions were appealed or otherwise challenged, the number of complaints processed and details as to outcomes and resolutions of complaints, and changes to the program and how they relate to industry or consumer concerns. The report shall include a description of any significant legal filings such as amicus briefs in any court and a summary of new regulations, legal developments that directly impact the program or program changes, and any significant matters that need to be addressed at the request of the regulated community or public. The report shall be submitted to the senate judiciary committee and the house judiciary committee and published on the attorney general's website by July 1 and December 31 of each year.

(6) In order to facilitate information sharing, to present the biannual report or similar information, and to solicit information relevant to the general administration of the program, the administrator, or representative designated by the attorney general, shall attend meetings and conferences of interested and relevant groups and associations. Upon attendance, the administrator shall have minutes from those meetings prepared and published on the attorney general's website and made part of the next biannual report. The administrator, or designee, shall attend the following on an annual basis:

(a) At the invitation of the collection agency industry, one local and one national association of collection agencies or other collection agency trade association meeting;

(b) At the invitation of the collection agency industry, one annual meeting of other business entity associations or groups that represent clients of collection agencies, debt buyers, or other related trade associations; and

(c) One annual meeting of a relevant consumer advocacy association.

(7) The administrator shallhost an annual public meeting in January of each year, with direct notice at least one month in advance to consumer advocacy groups and associations and other interested parties. The administrator shall also host an annual public meeting in July of each year with direct notice at least one month in advance to licensees, industry groups, client groups and other interested parties.

(8) This subsection (8) and subsections (5), (6), and (7) of this section are repealed, effective July 1, 2020.