Electronic Payments Made to Units of Local Governments

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.