Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01118 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
	3	+	LCO No. 1686 1 of 1
3	4
4		-	LCO No. 6175 1 of 5
5		-
6		-	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 1118
	5	+	General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 1118
7	6		January Session, 2025
8		-	LCO No. ~~6175~~
	7	+	LCO No. 1686
9	8
10	9
11	10		Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
12	11		AND ELECTIONS
13	12
14	13
15	14		Introduced by:
16		-	(GAE)
	15	+	SEN. SAMPSON, 16
	16	+	th Dist.
17	17
18	18
19	19
20		-	AN ACT PROHIBITING REQUIRING THE PAYMENT OF FEES FOR
21		-	DEBIT OR CHARGE CARD PAYMENTS TO A STATE OR MUNICIPAL
22		-	AGENCY.
	20	+
	21	+
	22	+	AN ACT PROHIBITING REQUIRING THE PAYMENT OR PROCESSING
	23	+	OF STATE LICENSE FEES THROUGH A THIRD -PARTY ENTITY THAT
	24	+	CHARGES LICENSEES ADDITIONAL FEES.
23	25		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	26		Assembly convened:
25	27
26		-	Section 1. Section 1-1j of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
27		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
28		-	(a) Each state agency, as defined in section 4-166, shall accept 3
29		-	payment in cash or by check, draft or money order for any license issued 4
30		-	by such agency pursuant to the provisions of the general statutes. 5
31		-	(b) Except as provided by any other provision of the general statutes, 6
32		-	the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management may authorize any 7
33		-	state agency to accept payment of any fee, cost or fine payable to such 8
34		-	agency by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card or an 9
35		-	electronic payment service, provided each state agency that accepts 10
36		-	payment by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card and any 11
37		-	entity processing such payment on behalf of the state agency shall not 12
38		-	charge the payor using such card a service fee. [, except that such service 13
39		-	fee may be waived by such state agency for a category of fee, cost or fine, 14
40		-	Committee Bill No. 1118
41		-
42		-
43		-	LCO No. 6175 2 of 5
44		-
45		-	if such waiver has been approved by said secretary.] 15
46		-	[(c) (1) Any service fee imposed pursuant to subsection (b) of this 16
47		-	section shall (A) be for the purpose of defraying the cost of service, (B) 17
48		-	not exceed any charge by the credit card, charge card or debit card issuer 18
49		-	or processor, including any discount rate, and (C) be applied only when 19
50		-	allowed by the operating rules and regulations of the credit card, charge 20
51		-	card or debit card issuer or processor involved or when authorized in 21
52		-	writing by such issuer or processor. 22
53		-	(2) Each state agency that charges a service fee pursuant to this 23
54		-	section or any other provision of the general statutes shall disclose such 24
55		-	service fee to a payor prior to the imposition of such service fee. Such 25
56		-	disclosure shall be made in accordance with any requirements for 26
57		-	disclosure set forth by the card issuer or processor.] 27
58		-	[(d)] (c) Payments by credit card, charge card, debit card or an 28
59		-	electronic payment service shall be made at such times and under such 29
60		-	conditions as the secretary may prescribe in regulations adopted in 30
61		-	accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. 31
62		-	[(e) Payment of a fee, cost or fine, and any applicable service fee, by 32
63		-	credit card, charge card, debit card or an electronic payment service 33
64		-	shall constitute full payment of such fee, cost, fine or service fee, 34
65		-	regardless of any discount applied by a credit card company.] 35
66		-	Sec. 2. Section 12-39r of the general statutes is repealed and the 36
67		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 37
68		-	The Commissioner of Revenue Services may allow the payment of 38
69		-	taxes, penalties, interest and fees by means of a credit card, charge card 39
70		-	or debit card, [and may] provided the commissioner shall not charge the 40
71		-	taxpayer a service fee for any such payment made by any such card. 41
72		-	[The fee shall not exceed any charge by the card issuer, including any 42
73		-	discount rate.] Payments by any such card shall be made at such times 43
74		-	and under such conditions as said commissioner may prescribe. The 44
75		-	Committee Bill No. 1118
76		-
77		-
78		-	LCO No. 6175 3 of 5
79		-
80		-	debt incurred through the payment of taxes by means of any such card 45
81		-	shall not be considered a tax collectible pursuant to the provisions of 46
82		-	sections 12-35a and 12-35b. 47
83		-	Sec. 3. Section 12-141a of the general statutes is repealed and the 48
84		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 49
85		-	Each municipality may allow the payment of taxes, penalties, interest 50
86		-	and fees by means of a credit card, charge card or debit card or an 51
87		-	electronic payment service, [and may] provided the municipality shall 52
88		-	not charge the taxpayer a service fee for any such payment made by any 53
89		-	such card or electronic payment service. [Such fee shall not exceed any 54
90		-	charge by the card issuer or electronic payment service provider, 55
91		-	including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card, charge card or 56
92		-	debit card or an electronic payment service shall be made at such times 57
93		-	and under such conditions as the municipality may prescribe. The debt 58
94		-	incurred through the payment of taxes by means of a credit card, charge 59
95		-	card or debit card or an electronic payment service shall not be 60
96		-	considered a tax collectible pursuant to the provisions of section 12-172. 61
97		-	Sec. 4. Section 14-11i of the general statutes is repealed and the 62
98		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 63
99		-	The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may allow the payment of any 64
100		-	fee specified in this chapter or chapter 247 by means of a credit card, 65
101		-	[and] provided the commissioner shall not charge [each] a payor a 66
102		-	service fee for any payment made by means of a credit card. [The fee 67
103		-	shall not exceed any charge by the credit card issuer or by its authorized 68
104		-	agent, including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card shall be 69
105		-	made under such conditions as the commissioner may prescribe. [, 70
106		-	except that the commissioner shall determine the rate or amount of the 71
107		-	service fee for any such credit card in accordance with subsection (c) of 72
108		-	section 1-1j. Such service fee may be waived by the commissioner for a 73
109		-	category of fee if such waiver has been approved by the Secretary of the 74
110		-	Office of Policy and Management pursuant to subsection (b) of section 75
111		-	1-1j. If any charge with respect to payment of a fee by means of a credit 76
112		-	Committee Bill No. 1118
113		-
114		-
115		-	LCO No. 6175 4 of 5
116		-
117		-	card is not authorized by such issuer or its authorized agent, the 77
118		-	commissioner shall assess the payor the fee specified in subsection (f) of 78
119		-	section 14-50.] 79
120		-	Sec. 5. Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 19a-88 of the general 80
121		-	statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 81
122		-	(Effective July 1, 2025): 82
123		-	(2) The department shall not charge a service fee for [each] any 83
124		-	payment made by means of a credit card. [The Commissioner of Public 84
125		-	Health shall determine the rate or amount of the service fee for any such 85
126		-	credit card in accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j. Such service 86
127		-	fee may be waived by the commissioner for a category of fee if such 87
128		-	waiver has been approved by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 88
129		-	Management pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1-1j.] 89
130		-	Sec. 6. Section 45a-113b of the general statutes is repealed and the 90
131		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 91
132		-	Each Probate Court may allow the payment of any fees charged by 92
133		-	such court by means of a credit card, charge card, debit card or an 93
134		-	electronic funds transfer. Such court shall not charge the person making 94
135		-	such payment a service fee for any such payment made by means of any 95
136		-	such card or electronic funds transfer. [The fee shall not exceed any 96
137		-	charge by the card issuer or processing fee for electronic funds transfer, 97
138		-	including any discount rate. The Probate Court Administrator shall 98
139		-	determine the rate or amount of the service fee for any such card in 99
140		-	accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j.] 100
141		-	Sec. 7. Section 51-193b of the general statutes is repealed and the 101
142		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 102
143		-	Payment of any fees, costs, fines or other charges to the Judicial 103
144		-	Branch may be made by means of a credit card and the payor shall not 104
145		-	be charged a service fee for any such payment made by means of a credit 105
146		-	card. [The service fee shall not exceed any charge by the credit card 106
147		-	Committee Bill No. 1118
148		-
149		-
150		-	LCO No. 6175 5 of 5
151		-
152		-	issuer, including any discount rate.] Payments by credit card shall be 107
153		-	made at such time and under such conditions as the Office of the Chief 108
154		-	Court Administrator may prescribe. [, except that the Chief Court 109
155		-	Administrator shall determine the rate or amount of the service fee for 110
156		-	any such card in accordance with subsection (c) of section 1-1j.] 111
157		-	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
158		-	sections:
159		-
160		-	Section 1 July 1, 2025 1-1j
161		-	Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 12-39r
162		-	Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 12-141a
163		-	Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 14-11i
164		-	Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 19a-88(g)(2)
165		-	Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 45a-113b
166		-	Sec. 7 July 1, 2025 51-193b
167		-
	28	+	That section 1-1j of the general statutes be amended to prohibit any 1
	29	+	state agency from requiring the payment or processing of any license fee 2
	30	+	through a third-party entity that requires a processing fee or transaction 3
	31	+	fee to be paid by the licensee in addition to the total cost of the license. 4
168	32		Statement of Purpose:
169		-	To prohibit state agencies and municipalities from requiring the
170		-	payment of any fee for use of a debit or charge card.
171		-
172		-	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
173		-	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
174		-	underlined.]
175		-
176		-	Co-Sponsors: SEN. SAMPSON, 16th Dist.
177		-
178		-	S.B. 1118
179		-
180		-
	33	+	To prohibit state agencies from requiring the payment or processing of
	34	+	any license fee through a third-party entity that requires a processing
	35	+	fee or transaction fee that would result in additional fees to be paid by
	36	+	the licensee.