| Passed by the Senate March 6, 2003 YEAS 49 ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 10, 2003 YEAS 92 ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Milton H. Doumit, Jr., Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5720 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/07/2003. Referred to Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing.
AN ACT Relating to identifying users of credit and debit cards; adding a new section to chapter 19.192 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that financial fraud
is too common, and that it threatens the safety and well-being of the
public by driving up the costs of goods and services and unduly
burdening the law enforcement community. Further, the legislature
finds that financial fraud can be deterred by allowing retailers to
verify the identity of persons who seek to pay for goods or services
with a credit or debit card. Finally, the legislature finds that some
retailers are deterred from verifying their customers' identity by
contractual arrangements with credit card issuers. The legislature
declares that such contracts violate the public policy that all
citizens should be able to take reasonable steps to prevent themselves
and their communities from falling victim to crime.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 19.192 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Any provision of a contract between a merchant or retailer and
a credit or debit card issuer, financial institution, or other person
that prohibits the merchant or retailer from verifying the identity of
a customer who offers to pay for goods or services with a credit or
debit card by requiring or requesting that the customer present
additional identification is void for violation of public policy.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as: (a)
Compelling merchants or retailers to verify identification; or (b)
interfering with the ability of the owner or manager of a retail store
or chain to make and enforce its own policies regarding verification of
identification.