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Commercial Law - General Regulatory Provisions - Senior Savings Protection Act

Businesses must give seniors paying by check the same discounts offered to customers using automatic digital payments.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 6, 2026Committee Senate Commerce

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that any business offering a price discount to customers for using automatic payment systems (such as electronic funds transfers) must extend that same discount to customers aged sixty-five and older who choose to pay by paper check. The bill aims to ensure that senior citizens are not financially penalized for preferring traditional payment methods over digital automated systems.

For younger readers

Some companies give you a cheaper price if you let them take money directly from your bank account automatically using a computer. This new rule says that if a company does that, they have to give that same cheaper price to people who are 65 years old or older, even if those older people pay with a paper check. This makes sure that grandmas and grandpas don't have to pay more money just because they prefer using checks instead of the computer.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Seniors (65+)Business OwnersUtility CompaniesService ProvidersBanks

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes economic equity by ensuring that seniors, who are often on fixed incomes, are not financially penalized for lacking access to or comfort with digital banking technology.
Protects vulnerable populations from the "digital divide," ensuring that essential services remain affordable for those who cannot or choose not to participate in automated electronic financial systems.
Combats age-based discrimination in the marketplace by preventing businesses from prioritizing technological efficiency over the needs and habits of the elderly community.
Incentivizes the continued use of paper checks, which are less environmentally friendly than digital transactions due to paper waste and the carbon footprint of mail transport.
Fails to extend these protections to low-income individuals under the age of sixty-five who may also lack reliable internet access or bank accounts suitable for automatic transfers.
Could result in businesses removing the auto-pay discount entirely for all customers to avoid the administrative burden of processing checks, potentially hurting working-class families who rely on those savings.

For Conservatives

Protects the personal freedom of seniors to conduct business using traditional methods without being coerced into digital systems they may not trust.
Limits the ability of corporations to manipulate consumer behavior and force individuals into automatic payment schemes that grant companies excessive access to personal funds.
Supports the financial well-being of senior citizens, a demographic that has contributed to the economy for decades, by preventing them from being charged higher rates.
Constitutes government interference in the free market by dictating the pricing structures and discount policies of private businesses.
Imposes additional regulatory burdens on business owners, forcing them to absorb the higher administrative costs of processing paper checks without the ability to offset those costs.
Violates the principle of private contract rights by mandating that businesses must offer specific terms to a specific group of people based on age.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 6-40.1 of the General Laws entitled "Senior Savings Protection Act [Effective January 1, 2025.]" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 6-40.1-2.1. Senior discounts. Any person or business engaged in the sale of goods or services, who offers a discount to its customers for utilizing automatic payment systems, via an automated clearinghouse (ACH) or an electronic funds transfer (EFT) or similar payment systems, shall provide the same discount to any person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older who makes a payment using paper checks.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.