1. (a) The department shall enforce this article. To carry out this responsibility, the department may do the following:

   1. (1) Receive and act on complaints, take action designed to obtain voluntary compliance with this article, or commence proceedings on the department's own initiative.
   2. (2) Issue and enforce administrative orders under IC 4-21.5 .
   3. (3) Counsel persons and groups on their rights and duties under this article.
   4. (4) Establish programs for the education of consumers with respect to rental purchase agreement practices and problems.
   5. (5) Make studies appropriate to effectuate the purposes and policies of this article and make the results available to the public.
   6. (6) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 , including emergency rules under IC 4-22-2-37.1 , to carry out this article.
   7. (7) Maintain more than one (1) office within Indiana.
   8. (8) Bring a civil action to restrain a person from violating this article and for other appropriate relief, and exercise the same enforcement powers provided under IC 24-4.5-6-108 .
2. (b) If the department determines, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, that a person has violated this article, the department may, in addition to or instead of all other remedies available under this section, impose upon the person a civil penalty not greater than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation.

As added by P.L.254-1987, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.1-1990, SEC.245; P.L.138-1990, SEC.12; P.L.172-1997, SEC.12; P.L.35-2010, SEC.91; P.L.89-2011, SEC.24; P.L.69-2018, SEC.43.