2006 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 627 – ISTARS, credit/debit card payment

HOUSE BILL NO. 627

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Bill Status



H0627................................by JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION
ISTARS TECHNOLOGY FUND - Amends existing law relating to the ISTARS
Technology Fund to reference payments made by credit card or debit card; to
allow for the designation of moneys for certain technologies; and to
provide for the deposit of certain payments into the ISTARS Technology Fund
for specified uses.
                                                                        
02/10    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/13    Rpt prt - to Jud
02/20    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/21    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/24    3rd rdg - PASSED - 65-0-5
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bayer,
      Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Cannon,
      Chadderdon, Clark, Collins, Crow, Deal, Edmunson, Ellsworth,
      Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Garrett, Hart, Harwood, Henbest,
      Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp, LeFavour, Loertscher, Martinez, Mathews,
      McGeachin, McKague, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini,
      Pasley-Stuart, Pence, Raybould, Ring, Ringo, Roberts, Rusche,
      Rydalch, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley,
      Skippen, Smith(30), Smylie(Luker), Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail,
      Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Boe, Denney, Lake, Sali, Smith(24)
    Floor Sponsor - Nielsen
    Title apvd - to Senate
02/27    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
03/07    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/08    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/09    3rd rdg - PASSED - 34-0-1
      AYES -- Andreason(Hatch), Brandt, Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett,
      Burtenshaw, Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis,
      Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough,
      Langhorst, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McGee, McKenzie, Pearce,
      Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Stennett, Werk, Williams
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Sweet
    Floor Sponsor - Jorgenson
    Title apvd - to House
03/10    To enrol
03/13    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/14    Pres signed
03/15    To Governor
03/15    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 73
         Effective: 07/01/06

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 627
                                                                        
                      BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE ISTARS TECHNOLOGY FUND; AMENDING SECTION 1-1623,  IDAHO  CODE,
  3        TO PROVIDE A CODE REFERENCE, TO REFERENCE PAYMENTS BY CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT
  4        CARD  AND TO ALLOW FOR THE DESIGNATION OF MONEYS FOR CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES;
  5        AND AMENDING SECTION 31-3221, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR  THE  DEPOSIT  OF
  6        CERTAIN PAYMENTS INTO THE ISTARS TECHNOLOGY FUND FOR SPECIFIED USES.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION  1.  That  Section  1-1623, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        1-1623.  IDAHO STATEWIDE TRIAL COURT  AUTOMATED  RECORDS  SYSTEM  (ISTARS)
 11    TECHNOLOGY  FUND. There is hereby created in the office of the state treasurer
 12    the ISTARS technology fund. Moneys deposited into the fund  pursuant  to  sec-
 13    tions 31-3201, and 31-3201A and 31-3221, Idaho Code, upon appropriation by the
 14    legislature,  shall  be used by the supreme court for the purpose of maintain-
 15    ing, replacing and enhancing the Idaho Statewide Trial Court Automated Records
 16    System (ISTARS) program, and other technologies that assist in  the  efficient
 17    management  of  the  courts, including a system for payments by credit card or
 18    debit card as provided in section 31-3221, Idaho Code, or that improve  access
 19    to  the courts and court records. The ISTARS technology fund shall be separate
 20    and distinct from the state general fund, and  expenditures  from  the  ISTARS
 21    technology  fund  shall  be solely dedicated to the purposes set forth in this
 22    section. Moneys deposited into the fund may be allowed to accumulate from year
 23    to year for designated maintenance, replacement, extension or  enhancement  of
 24    the  ISTARS  program  and  for other technologies that assist in the efficient
 25    management of the courts. Interest earned on the investment of idle moneys  in
 26    the ISTARS technology fund shall be returned to the ISTARS technology fund.
                                                                        
 27        SECTION  2.  That  Section 31-3221, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 28    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 29        31-3221.  PAYMENTS TO COURT BY CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD. (1) The clerk of
 30    the district court may accept payment of a debt owed to the court by a  credit
 31    card or debit card. Any person making payment on a debt owed to the court by a
 32    credit  card or debit card shall be assessed an electronic payment convenience
 33    fee established by the supreme court, which shall include, among other  costs,
 34    the  amount  charged the court by the issuer for the use of the card. This fee
 35    may also be paid by credit card or debit card and included in the  transaction
 36    for  the  payment of the debt owed to the court. The electronic payment conve-
 37    nience fee shall be separate from the debt owed to  the  court  and  shall  be
 38    deposited  into  the  district court ISTARS technology fund created in section
 39    1-1623, Idaho Code, and shall be used for the implementation of the provisions
 40    of this section. The debt owed to the court shall not be  expunged,  canceled,
 41    released, discharged or satisfied and any receipt or other evidence of payment
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    shall  be  deemed  conditional until the court has received final and uncondi-
  2    tional payment of the full amount due from the financing agency or card issuer
  3    for the transaction. If  an  electronic  payment  once  made  is  subsequently
  4    denied, revoked or otherwise canceled for any reason, and the payment is with-
  5    drawn   from the court, the court may proceed as though payment had never been
  6    made.
  7        (2)  Definitions. As used in this section:
  8        (a)  "Cardholder" means the person or organization named on the face of  a
  9        credit  card or debit card to whom or for whose benefit the credit card or
 10        debit card is issued by an issuer.
 11        (b)  "Credit card" means any instrument or  device,  whether  known  as  a
 12        credit card or credit plate or by any other name, issued with or without a
 13        fee  by  an issuer for the use of the cardholder in obtaining money, prop-
 14        erty, goods, services or anything else of value on credit.
 15        (c)  "Debit card" means any instrument or device, whether known as a debit
 16        card or by any other name, issued with or without a fee by an  issuer  for
 17        the use of the cardholder in depositing, obtaining or transferring funds.
 18        (d)  "Debt  owed to the court" means any assessment of fines, court costs,
 19        surcharges, penalties, fees, restitution, cash  deposit  of  bail,  moneys
 20        expended  in  providing  counsel  and  other  defense services to indigent
 21        defendants, or other charges which a court judgment has ordered to be paid
 22        to the court or which a party has agreed to pay in criminal or civil cases
 23        and includes any interest or penalty on such unpaid  amounts  as  provided
 24        for in the judgment or by law.
 25        (e)  "Issuer"  means  a  business  organization,  financial institution or
 26        authorized agent of a business organization or financial institution  that
 27        issues a credit card or debit card.
 28        (3)  The  supreme  court  may  adopt  rules  as deemed appropriate for the
 29    administration of this section and may enter into contracts with an issuer  or
 30    other organization to implement the provisions of this section.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


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                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 15844

In 2003 the Legislature enacted Idaho Code Section 31-3221, which
allowed district court clerks to accept payment by credit or
debit card for debts owed to the court.  Persons making such
payments are to be assessed a payment convenience fee as
established by the Supreme Court.  Under the statute as enacted
in 2003, the payment convenience fee is to be deposited in the
district court fund.  The idea was that this would help to
provide funds to purchase the devices and services needed to
process the credit and debit card payments.  However, these
services can now be obtained through statewide contracts with
credit card vending companies, which is more efficient and cost
effective.

This bill would provide that the payment convenience fee would be
deposited in the ISTARS Technology Fund to facilitate this more
economical approach.  The amount of the payment convenience fee
would continue to be tied to the cost of providing the option of
payment by credit or debit card.



                           FISCAL NOTE

This bill would have no impact on the general fund.  The payment
convenience fee would be set at between 2% and 3% of the amount
of the debts paid by credit or debit card, and such funds would
be placed in the ISTARS Technology Fund for the purpose of
covering the cost of providing this option.



Contact
Name: Patricia Tobias, Adm. Director of the Courts 
Phone: 334-2246


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         H 627