Lawmaker refiles campus card bill
As detailed above, the BuckID program has been very successful. But with success also comes potential regulations. One Ohio legislator, Rep. Shawn Webster, wants to pass a law requiring any state university offering the off-campus debit cards to make it available to any merchant.
As reported last year in CR80News, Representative Webster was unsuccessful with a similar bill in the 2002 legislature. This year, however, he has picked up 39 co-sponsors, which practically guarantees passage—in the House anyway.
The bill, HB 162, would also limit the transaction fee to no more than 4%. In addition, the university must grant off-campus merchants the same terms as those given on-campus vendors. Stay tuned to CR80News for updates on the bill and its potential impacts on card programs.