1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to cities and counties; providing for payment 
  1.3             of city and county obligations by electronic transfer 
  1.4             or credit card; authorizing electronic approvals; 
  1.5             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.6             chapter 471. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [471.381] [CITY AND COUNTY OBLIGATIONS AND 
  1.9   PAYMENTS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [PAYMENT METHODS.] Payments of claims and 
  1.11  obligations of a statutory or home rule charter city or county 
  1.12  may be made by warrant, check, or all forms of electronic or 
  1.13  wire funds transfer.  Section 471.38 does not apply to any claim 
  1.14  for which payment is made by electronic or wire funds transfer.  
  1.15  If the city or county may make investments, it may make 
  1.16  electronic or wire transfers of funds notwithstanding any other 
  1.17  law to the contrary. 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD OR 
  1.19  OTHER METHODS.] A statutory or home rule charter city or a 
  1.20  county may accept payment by use of a credit card, debit card, 
  1.21  or all forms of electronic or wire funds transfer.  Subject to 
  1.22  any other law to the contrary, the city or county may add to the 
  1.23  amount due a service charge for the acceptance of a payment 
  1.24  method authorized in this subdivision.  The city or county shall 
  1.25  adopt policies and procedures regarding the payments. 
  1.26     Subd. 3.  [ELECTRONIC APPROVAL.] "Electronic approval" 
  2.1   means any electronic identifier intended by the person making, 
  2.2   executing, or adopting it to authenticate and validate a city or 
  2.3   county administrative action.  Notwithstanding any other general 
  2.4   or special law to the contrary, a statutory or home rule charter 
  2.5   city or a county may use electronic approvals, which have the 
  2.6   same validity and consequences as an actual signature.  The city 
  2.7   or county must establish policies and procedures to ensure the 
  2.8   validity of electronic approvals.