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90_SB0481 New Act Creates the Consumer Late Payment Act. In the case of a payment for specified types of services provided to consumers, prohibits a business from charging a late payment fee or penalty of more than 1.5% if the business receives the payment within 5 days of the due date. Provides that a violation of the Act is a petty offense. LRB9002545WHmgA LRB9002545WHmgA 1 AN ACT in relation to certain payments by consumers. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Consumer Late Payment Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act: 7 "Consumer" means a natural person. 8 "Consumer payment" means any scheduled recurring payment 9 contracted by a consumer with a business organization for 10 services. 11 "Business organization" means any entity that provides 12 services to consumers for which the consumer agrees to make 13 scheduled periodic payments for the services. "Services" 14 includes, but is not limited to, telephone and 15 telecommunication service, sanitation and waste hauling, 16 electrical and natural gas utility services, cable 17 television, and Internet and online communication services. 18 "Services" does not include periodic payments for credit card 19 debt under the Credit Card Issuance Act, debt payments 20 contracted under the Interest Act, debt payments under the 21 Retail Sales Act, and debt payments under the Motor Vehicle 22 Retail Installment Sales Act or under any other Act or 23 contract for which the consumer has contracted with a person, 24 financial institution, or business organization for the 25 payment of debt based upon the lending of money or the 26 purchase of goods. 27 "Late payment" means the failure of the consumer to 28 deliver to the business organization the payment for the 29 services on the date by which payment for the services is 30 scheduled to be received. -2- LRB9002545WHmgA 1 Section 15. Penalty limitation. No business 2 organization may charge a late payment fee or impose a 3 monetary penalty upon a consumer for failure to pay for 4 services on the scheduled date of payment for those services 5 at a rate that exceeds 1.5% of the amount due for the 6 periodic scheduled payment; provided the payment for the 7 services contracted for by the consumer has been received by 8 the business organization within 5 business days of the 9 scheduled payment date. The failure of a consumer to make 10 payment for the services beyond the 5 day period after the 11 scheduled payment date shall entitle the business 12 organization to impose a late payment fee or monetary penalty 13 in an amount contracted by the business organization and the 14 consumer. 15 Section 20. Penalty for violation. A violation of this 16 Act is a petty offense.