SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1768        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 553

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Nick Collins

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act creating a maximum allowable check-cashing rate.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Nick Collins

First Suffolk

 

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Mayor Martin J. Walsh

City of Boston

 

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

1/30/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/31/2019

Michael F. Rush

Norfolk and Suffolk

1/31/2019

Angelo M. Scaccia

14th Suffolk

2/11/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1768        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 553

By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 553) of Nick Collins, Daniel J. Hunt, Kay Khan, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and other members of the General Court for legislation to create a maximum allowable check-cashing rate .  Financial Services.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act creating a maximum allowable check-cashing rate.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 169A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after section 13 the following section:

Section 14. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary, no check-casher licensed or subject to regulation under this chapter shall directly or indirectly charge or collect fees or other considerations for rendering currency exchange services in excess of the following:

(1) 1.5 per cent of the face value of the check plus a service charge of one dollar for any government check issued by the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any political subdivision thereof.

(2) 3 per cent of the face value of a payroll check 100 dollars or less plus a service charge of one dollar; 2.25 per cent of the face value of a payroll check greater than 100 dollars plus a service charge of one dollar.

(3) 5 per cent of the face value of the check or 5 dollars, whichever is greater, plus a service charge of one dollar, for all personal checks.

(4) 3 per cent plus a service charge of 1 dollar for all other payment instruments, including checks, drafts, or money orders.

(b) No check-casher licensed or subject to regulation under this chapter shall charge more than 5 dollars to set up an initial customer account.

SECTION 2. Section 13 of said chapter 169A is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words “five hundred” and inserting in place thereof the following words: - one thousand.