House Passes Bill Fixing Flaw in Laws Governing ATMs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2018

House Passes Bill Fixing Flaw in Laws Governing ATMs

HB 350 Allows ATM Owners to Charge a Fee for International Transactions

Juneau – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill that allows the owners of automatic teller machines (ATMs) to charge a fee for transactions made by international bank card holders. Currently, independently owned ATMs cannot charge a fee for use by international cardholders because the state law only pertains to ATMs owned by state-sponsored banks or credit unions. House Bill 350, sponsored by Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan), seeks to level the playing field between the varied owners of ATMs in Alaska.

“This summer our great state will welcome millions of visitors, including hundreds of thousands from abroad. These visitors are a boon to our economy, but this flaw in current law prevents retail ATM owners from charging a reasonable fee for international transactions,” said Rep. Ortiz. “Fixing this gap in state law may seem like a small thing, but it will make a big difference for local ATM owners and local economies.”

HB 350 is endorsed by numerous independent ATM operators in Alaska and the National ATM Council, which reports that Alaska is the only state left with this unintentional restriction in state law.

House Bill 350 passed the Alaska House of Representatives today by a vote of 37-0. The bill will now be sent to the Alaska State Senate for consideration.

For more information, please contact Alaska House Majority Coalition Press Secretary Mike Mason at (907) 444-0889.

###