Requires local unit to accept electronic payment of construction code fees.
Summary
Assembly Bill 3953 requires local units to accept electronic payment methods for certain construction code-related fees. Specifically, when a construction contract is entered into under the Local Public Contracts Law, the contractor must be allowed to pay enforcing agency fees imposed under the State Uniform Construction Code Act by card payment system or electronic funds transfer system.
The bill also amends the existing law governing local unit payment systems to make electronic payment capability mandatory, rather than optional, for payments required under the State Uniform Construction Code Act. Local units would still adopt the payment system by resolution of the governing body, and the resolution would identify which charges may be paid electronically. The bill takes effect immediately.
Impact
This bill would amend the Local Public Contracts Law and the statute governing local unit card and electronic funds transfer systems, converting local authority to accept electronic payments for construction code fees into a requirement. It would affect municipalities and other local units, construction contractors working on public contracts, and enforcing agencies that collect fees under the State Uniform Construction Code Act. The bill does not change the underlying fee structure, but it changes the permitted method of payment and requires local payment systems to be available for these fees.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented debate or recorded opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and modernization-oriented, aimed at making fee payment easier and more efficient for contractors and local governments. The absence of votes or hearing remarks means overall sentiment cannot be measured from the provided context.
Contention
No specific points of contention are identified in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or votes. Potential areas of concern, based on the text, could include implementation costs for local units, payment processing fees, and administrative changes needed to comply with the mandatory electronic payment requirement. The bill also preserves existing limits on credit card use for delinquent obligations and lien redemptions, which suggests those issues were intentionally excluded from the mandate.