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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 1118
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 6175
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT PROHIBITING REQUIRING THE PAYMENT OF FEES FOR
DEBIT OR CHARGE CARD PAYMENTS TO A STATE OR MUNICIPAL
AGENCY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 1-1j of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) Each state agency, as defined in section 4-166, shall accept 3
payment in cash or by check, draft or money order for any license issued 4
by such agency pursuant to the provisions of the general statutes. 5
(b) Except as provided by any other provision of the general statutes, 6
the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may authorize any 7
state agency to accept payment of any fee, cost or fine payable to such 8
agency by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card or an 9
electronic payment service, provided each state agency that accepts 10
payment by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card and any 11
entity processing such payment on behalf of the state agency shall not 12
charge the payor using such card a service fee. [, except that such service 13
fee may be waived by such state agency for a category of fee, cost or fine, 14
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if such waiver has been approved by said secretary.] 15
[(c) (1) Any service fee imposed pursuant to subsection (b) of this 16
section shall (A) be for the purpose of defraying the cost of service, (B) 17
not exceed any charge by the credit card, charge card or debit card issuer 18
or processor, including any discount rate, and (C) be applied only when 19
allowed by the operating rules and regulations of the credit card, charge 20
card or debit card issuer or processor involved or when authorized in 21
writing by such issuer or processor. 22
(2) Each state agency that charges a service fee pursuant to this 23
section or any other provision of the general statutes shall disclose such 24
service fee to a payor prior to the imposition of such service fee. Such 25
disclosure shall be made in accordance with any requirements for 26
disclosure set forth by the card issuer or processor.] 27
[(d)] (c) Payments by credit card, charge card, debit card or an 28
electronic payment service shall be made at such times and under such 29
conditions as the secretary may prescribe in regulations adopted in 30
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. 31
[(e) Payment of a fee, cost or fine, and any applicable service fee, by 32
credit card, charge card, debit card or an electronic payment service 33
shall constitute full payment of such fee, cost, fine or service fee, 34
regardless of any discount applied by a credit card company.] 35
Sec. 2. Section 12-39r of the general statutes is repealed and the 36
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 37
The Commissioner of Revenue Services may allow the payment of 38
taxes, penalties, interest and fees by means of a credit card, charge card 39
or debit card, [and may] provided the commissioner shall not charge the 40
taxpayer a service fee for any such payment made by any such card. 41
[The fee shall not exceed any charge by the card issuer, including any 42
discount rate.] Payments by any such card shall be made at such times 43
and under such conditions as said commissioner may prescribe. The 44
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debt incurred through the payment of taxes by means of any such card 45
shall not be considered a tax collectible pursuant to the provisions of 46
sections 12-35a and 12-35b. 47
Sec. 3. Section 12-141a of the general statutes is repealed and the 48
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 49
Each municipality may allow the payment of taxes, penalties, interest 50
and fees by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card or an 51
electronic payment service, [and may] provided the municipality shall 52
not charge the taxpayer a service fee for any such payment made by any 53
such card or electronic payment service. [Such fee shall not exceed any 54
charge by the card issuer or electronic payment service provider, 55
including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card, charge card or 56
debit card or an electronic payment service shall be made at such times 57
and under such conditions as the municipality may prescribe. The debt 58
incurred through the payment of taxes by means of a credit card, charge 59
card or debit card or an electronic payment service shall not be 60
considered a tax collectible pursuant to the provisions of section 12-172. 61
Sec. 4. Section 14-11i of the general statutes is repealed and the 62
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 63
The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may allow the payment of any 64
fee specified in this chapter or chapter 247 by means of a credit card, 65
[and] provided the commissioner shall not charge [each] a payor a 66
service fee for any payment made by means of a credit card. [The fee 67
shall not exceed any charge by the credit card issuer or by its authorized 68
agent, including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card shall be 69
made under such conditions as the commissioner may prescribe. [, 70
except that the commissioner shall determine the rate or amount of the 71
service fee for any such credit card in accordance with subsection (c) of 72
section 1-1j. Such service fee may be waived by the commissioner for a 73
category of fee if such waiver has been approved by the Secretary of the 74
Office of Policy and Management pursuant to subsection (b) of section 75
1-1j. If any charge with respect to payment of a fee by means of a credit 76
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card is not authorized by such issuer or its authorized agent, the 77
commissioner shall assess the payor the fee specified in subsection (f) of 78
section 14-50.] 79
Sec. 5. Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 19a-88 of the general 80
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 81
(Effective July 1, 2025): 82
(2) The department shall not charge a service fee for [each] any 83
payment made by means of a credit card. [The Commissioner of Public 84
Health shall determine the rate or amount of the service fee for any such 85
credit card in accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j. Such service 86
fee may be waived by the commissioner for a category of fee if such 87
waiver has been approved by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 88
Management pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1-1j.] 89
Sec. 6. Section 45a-113b of the general statutes is repealed and the 90
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 91
Each Probate Court may allow the payment of any fees charged by 92
such court by means of a credit card, charge card, debit card or an 93
electronic funds transfer. Such court shall not charge the person making 94
such payment a service fee for any such payment made by means of any 95
such card or electronic funds transfer. [The fee shall not exceed any 96
charge by the card issuer or processing fee for electronic funds transfer, 97
including any discount rate. The Probate Court Administrator shall 98
determine the rate or amount of the service fee for any such card in 99
accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j.] 100
Sec. 7. Section 51-193b of the general statutes is repealed and the 101
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 102
Payment of any fees, costs, fines or other charges to the Judicial 103
Branch may be made by means of a credit card and the payor shall not 104
be charged a service fee for any such payment made by means of a credit 105
card. [The service fee shall not exceed any charge by the credit card 106
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issuer, including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card shall be 107
made at such time and under such conditions as the Office of the Chief 108
Court Administrator may prescribe. [, except that the Chief Court 109
Administrator shall determine the rate or amount of the service fee for 110
any such card in accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j.] 111
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 1-1j
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 12-39r
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 12-141a
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 14-11i
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 19a-88(g)(2)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 45a-113b
Sec. 7 July 1, 2025 51-193b
Statement of Purpose:
To prohibit state agencies and municipalities from requiring the
payment of any fee for use of a debit or charge card.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. SAMPSON, 16th Dist.
S.B. 1118