Clemens Wants Federal Banks to Stop Charging Debit Card Fees

State Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, has filed legislation to stop banks from charging debit card fees.

The banks sold us all on the idea of a cashless society, and now that weve bought into their promise of free, easy access to our own money, they want to charge us for it, Clemens said. Anyone with a sense of decency should be outraged.

House Bill 375, filed Monday, would make it unlawful to charge or impose a dormancy fee, and inactivity fee or charge, or a service fee with respect to the use or holding of a debit card by a consumer.

Wells Fargo and Bank of America have announced plans to charged monthly fees for debit card holders.

While banking regulations typically fall under federal oversight, Clemens believes the recent U.S. Supreme Court case of Cuomo v. Clearing House Association, which granted the New York attorney general oversight over practices of certain federally chartered financial institutions, would allow Florida to act on his bill.

Clemens has also started a Facebook page entitled G.R.E.E.D. (Get Rid of Excessive Expenses for Debitcards).