BILL NUMBER:A9931
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the general business law, in relation to
requiring retailers to provide balance inquiry services for electronic
benefit transfer cards
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To implement a new regulation on
retailers in New York mandating that stores that accept Electronic Bene-
fit Transfer (EST) cards must also provide balance inquiry services for
the cardholder.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: To amend the general business law by
adding a new section, § 396-ii which requires any retailer that accepts
EBT cards to provide balance inquiry services to individuals possessing
such cards.
JUSTIFICATION: Currently some retailers in New York provide the courtesy
of checking balance inquiries for EBT cardholders, while other retailers
do not provide this service. In order to ensure uniformity for individ-
uals shopping with EBT cards, all retailers who accept EBT cards fox
payment should also provide cardholding individuals with balance inquiry
services. Additionally providing the balance inquiry service would allow
those who use EBT cards to be better equipped to shop within their
means.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9931
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 12, 2010
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DelMONTE -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
retailers to provide balance inquiry services for electronic benefit
transfer cards
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
396-ii to read as follows:
S 396-II. BALANCE INQUIRY SERVICES ON ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER
CARDS. ANY RETAILER IN THE STATE THAT ACCEPTS ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANS-
FER (EBT) CARDS, ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY
ASSISTANCE, SHALL PROVIDE BALANCE INQUIRY SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS
POSSESSING SUCH CARDS.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15657-02-0
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