HARRY HUGHES, Governor

877

Higher Education - Credit Cards

FOR the purpose of limiting the amount of discount, charge
or fee that certain credit card companies can assess
public institutions of higher education and deleting
the requirement that public institutions of higher
education charge a service fee for credit card use.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article - Education

Section 11-102

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1978 Volume and 1978 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article - Education

11-102.

(a)   Each public institution of higher education may
honor credit cards as payment for:

(1)   Tuition and fees; and

(2)   Room and board.

(b)   The governing boards of the institutions shall
determine which credit cards are acceptable for this
purpose. HOWEVER, A PUBLIC INSTITUTION MAY NOT ACCEPT A
CREDIT CARD FROM ANY CREDIT CARD COMPANY WHICH CHARGES THAT
INSTITUTION A VENDOR DISCOUNT, SERVICE CHARGE OR SIMILAR FEE
IN EXCESS OF 1 PERCENT.

[(c) The institution shall charge a service fee to
each person who uses a credit card. The amount of the
service fee shall be enough to pay any vendor discount or
similar fee charged by the credit card company.]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1979.

Approved May 14, 1979.

CHAPTER 251
(Senate Bill 311)