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Adams County to monitor swipe-fee bill that would bar card companies from charging sales-tax portion
Summary
County staff briefed commissioners on HB134, which would stop card networks from charging fees on sales-tax amounts and exempt small issuers; commissioners directed staff to monitor the bill given technical and enforcement questions.
Commissioner Henson introduced House Bill 134, a measure aimed at prohibiting credit card companies from charging swipe fees on the sales-tax portion of transactions and barring card networks from recouping those costs through other fee changes.
Staff summarized stakeholder positions: supporters include trade groups such as the Brewers Guild and hotel/lodging interests; opponents include banking associations, large merchant groups and AC Rep. The bill exempts card issuers with under $60 billion in assets and certain co-branded cards tied to smaller institutions.
Commissioners expressed concern about enforcement and technical feasibility — whether point-of-sale hardware and software could reliably separate the sales-tax component, and how merchants might react if networks required cash payments. Given that the bill had been laid over repeatedly, commissioners agreed on a staff-monitor posture.
No formal county endorsement or opposition was taken at the meeting; staff will follow scheduling and provide an update if the bill moves to a hearing.
