81R6706 EAH-F
By: Gallego H.B. No. 2061
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the acceptance of electronic check and credit card
payments for certain fees and taxes by a county tax
assessor-collector.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 130.002, Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 130.002. ACCEPTANCE OF CHECK OR CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OF
CERTAIN FEES AND TAXES. A county tax assessor-collector shall
[may] accept a check or credit card invoice for the payment of:
(1) motor vehicle registration fees under Chapter 502,
Transportation Code;
(2) motor vehicle sales taxes imposed by Chapter 152,
Tax Code;
(3) occupation taxes paid to the assessor-collector
under Chapter 191, Tax Code;
(4) motor vehicle title transfer fees under Chapter
501, Transportation Code;
(5) license or permit fees under the Alcoholic
Beverage Code; and
(6) property taxes.
SECTION 2. Sections 130.0045 and 130.0046, Local Government
Code, are amended to read as follows:
Sec. 130.0045. CREDIT CARD PAYMENT PROCESSING FEE. (a) A
[If a] county tax assessor-collector [accepts a credit card invoice
as conditional payment of a fee or tax, the assessor-collector] may
collect a fee for processing a credit card [the] invoice accepted as
a conditional payment of a fee or tax.
(b) The assessor-collector may [shall] set a fee collected
under Subsection (a) in an amount that is reasonably related to the
expense incurred in processing the credit card invoice, not to
exceed three [five] percent of the amount of the fee or tax. The
processing fee is in addition to the amount of the fee or tax, and
may be paid conditionally by including the amount of the processing
fee on the credit card invoice.
Sec. 130.0046. [FEE FOR] PAYMENT BY ELECTRONIC MEANS. A
county tax assessor-collector shall accept [that accepts] payment
by electronic means as conditional payment of a county or state fee
or tax [may collect a handling fee for processing the payment. The
handling fee is in addition to the amount of the fee or tax and may
be paid conditionally by electronic means at the same time the tax
or fee is paid].
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.