Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1612
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì948168PÎ948168                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/11/2026           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (DiCeglie) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 215.322,
    6  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    7         215.322 Acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit
    8  cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies, units of
    9  local government, and the judicial branch; acceptance of online
   10  payments by units of local government.—
   11         (1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage
   12  state agencies, and the judicial branch, and require units of
   13  local government to make their goods, services, and information
   14  more convenient to the public through the acceptance of payments
   15  by credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or other means of
   16  electronic funds transfers to the maximum extent practicable
   17  when the benefits to the participating agency and the public
   18  substantiate the cost of accepting these types of payments.
   19         (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to require units of
   20  local government to accept payments online.
   21         (5)(a) Each A unit of local government, including a
   22  municipality, special district, or board of county commissioners
   23  or other governing body of a county, a consolidated or
   24  metropolitan government, and any clerk of the circuit court,
   25  sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, or supervisor of
   26  elections, shall is authorized to accept payment by use of
   27  credit cards, charge cards, bank debit cards, and electronic
   28  funds transfers for financial obligations that are owing to such
   29  unit of local government, except when another form of payment is
   30  required by law, and is authorized to surcharge the person who
   31  uses a credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or electronic
   32  funds transfer in payment of taxes, license fees, tuition,
   33  fines, civil penalties, court-ordered payments, or court costs,
   34  or other statutorily prescribed revenues an amount sufficient to
   35  pay the service fee charges by the financial institution,
   36  vending service company, or credit card company for such
   37  services. Such A unit of local government shall verify both the
   38  validity of any credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or
   39  electronic funds transfer used pursuant to this subsection and
   40  the existence of appropriate credit with respect to the person
   41  using the card or transfer. The unit of local government does
   42  not incur any liability as a result of such verification or any
   43  subsequent action taken.
   44         (b) A unit of local government accepting payment under
   45  paragraph (a) is required to have a method for accepting such
   46  payment online.
   47         Section 2. The Legislature finds and declares that this act
   48  fulfills an important state interest.
   49         Section 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
   50  
   51  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   52  And the title is amended as follows:
   53         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   54  and insert:
   55                        A bill to be entitled                      
   56         An act relating to electronic payments made to units
   57         of local governments; amending s. 215.322, F.S.;
   58         revising legislative intent; requiring units of local
   59         government to accept certain forms of payments;
   60         providing an exception; requiring such local
   61         governments to accept payments online; providing an
   62         effective date.