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HR 4552 111th Congress House

Benefit Card Fairness Act of 2010

Official title: To amend the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to provide protection for consumers who have government benefit cards.

Introduced: March 4, 2010 See on congress.gov
Finance and Financial Sector Bank accounts, deposits, capitalBanking and financial institutions regulationConsumer affairsFinancial services and investments
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Poverty and welfare assistanceUser charges and fees
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 29, 2010
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Jan 29, 2010
Introduced in House
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 Latest action January 29, 2010

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Benefit Card Fairness Act of 2010 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) to extend its coverage to any account directly or indirectly established through a government agency to which electronic fund transfers (EFTs) are made by or on behalf of a government agency on a recurring basis (government payment account).

Repeals the exemption from EFTA disclosure, protection, responsibility, and remedy requirements of electronic benefit transfer systems established by a federal, state, or local government agency for distributing needs-tested benefits, such as through automated teller machines (ATMs) or point-of-sale terminals.

Requires a financial institution to offer a government payment account in compliance with this Act and with the requirements of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for the provision of insurance to the consumer.

Prescribes requirements for consumer choice in making an EFT to a government payment account, as well as for access to account balance and transaction history.

Prohibits the assessment of specified fees on a government payment account, except certain transaction fees, a nominal fee of up to $1 for written periodic statements, and other permissible fees for specific services beyond ordinary use of the account.

Requires a financial institution to make certain disclosures including: (1) the means to obtain account balance; (2) written account history; (3) fee information; and (4) error resolution.


 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4552: Benefit Card Fairness Act of 2010. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4552/
MLA
"H.R. 4552: Benefit Card Fairness Act of 2010." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4552/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4552, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4552/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4552: Benefit Card Fairness Act of 2010](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-4552/)
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