(a)  The director of the finance section of the state courts shall establish procedures, in conjunction with the state controller and general treasurer, by which court imposed fines and costs may be paid by credit card presented at the offices of the court clerks. These procedures may include the imposition of a surcharge on the credit card user for each transaction. This surcharge shall not exceed the amount charged to the state by the credit card contractor for the corresponding transaction. Nothing contained in this section shall require justices of the peace acting as bail commissioners to accept credit cards during the hours when the clerk’s offices are closed.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 8-15-9.1

  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  No person making any payment by credit card shall be relieved from liability for the underlying obligation except to the extent that the state realizes final payment of the underlying obligation in cash or the equivalent. If final payment is not made by the credit card issuer or other guarantor of payment in the credit card transaction, then the underlying obligation shall survive and the state shall retain all remedies for enforcement which would have applied if the credit card transaction had not occurred. No contract may modify the provisions of this subsection.

(c)  Credit card account numbers in the possession of a state or local government are confidential and shall not be deemed public records.

History of Section.
P.L. 2002, ch. 65, art. 13, § 28.