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Senate advances bill to raise maximum merchant fee for bounced checks from $15 to $20
Summary
Senate Bill 56 passed to the third‑reading calendar after debate. Sponsor David Bueller argued the change would help small merchants recover costs from dishonored checks; opponents warned banks might raise fees and low‑income customers could be disproportionately affected. Vote: 18 aye, 10 nay, 1 absent.
The Utah Senate voted to advance Senate Bill 56 to the third‑reading calendar, a measure that would raise the maximum merchant service charge for dishonored checks from $15 to $20.
Senator David Bueller explained the rationale with a merchant example: a $20 sale often leaves only about $4 margin for the merchant after wholesale costs; bank charges for returned checks (about $4.50 in his example) can quickly exceed a merchant's margin. "This all this bill does is…
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