Florida Senate - 2026                             CS for SB 1612
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senator DiCeglie
       
       
       
       
       585-02776-26                                          20261612c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to electronic payments made to units
    3         of local governments; amending s. 215.322, F.S.;
    4         revising legislative intent; requiring units of local
    5         government to accept certain forms of payments;
    6         providing an exception; requiring such local
    7         governments to accept payments online; providing a
    8         finding and declaration of important state interest;
    9         providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Subsections (1) and (5) of section 215.322,
   14  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   15         215.322 Acceptance of credit cards, charge cards, debit
   16  cards, or electronic funds transfers by state agencies, units of
   17  local government, and the judicial branch; acceptance of online
   18  payments by units of local government.—
   19         (1)(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage
   20  state agencies, and the judicial branch, and require units of
   21  local government, to make their goods, services, and information
   22  more convenient to the public through the acceptance of payments
   23  by credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or other means of
   24  electronic funds transfers to the maximum extent practicable
   25  when the benefits to the participating agency and the public
   26  substantiate the cost of accepting these types of payments.
   27         (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to require units of
   28  local government to accept payments online.
   29         (5)(a) Each A unit of local government, including a
   30  municipality, special district, or board of county commissioners
   31  or other governing body of a county, a consolidated or
   32  metropolitan government, and any clerk of the circuit court,
   33  sheriff, property appraiser, tax collector, or supervisor of
   34  elections, shall is authorized to accept payment by use of
   35  credit cards, charge cards, bank debit cards, and electronic
   36  funds transfers for financial obligations that are owing to such
   37  unit of local government, except when another form of payment is
   38  required by law, and is authorized to surcharge the person who
   39  uses a credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or electronic
   40  funds transfer in payment of taxes, license fees, tuition,
   41  fines, civil penalties, court-ordered payments, or court costs,
   42  or other statutorily prescribed revenues an amount sufficient to
   43  pay the service fee charges by the financial institution,
   44  vending service company, or credit card company for such
   45  services. Such A unit of local government shall verify both the
   46  validity of any credit card, charge card, bank debit card, or
   47  electronic funds transfer used pursuant to this subsection and
   48  the existence of appropriate credit with respect to the person
   49  using the card or transfer. The unit of local government does
   50  not incur any liability as a result of such verification or any
   51  subsequent action taken.
   52         (b) A unit of local government accepting payment under
   53  paragraph (a) is required to have a method for accepting such
   54  payment online.
   55         Section 2. The Legislature finds and declares that this act
   56  fulfills an important state interest.
   57         Section 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.