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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky bill protects card and digital asset payments and bans payment-method surcharges
Last action · March 4, 2026: to Banking & Insurance (H)Sponsor: Candy Massaroni
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What This Bill Proposed
Kentucky HB 751 prohibits the government or other entities from banning the acceptance of credit cards, debit cards, or s for legal goods and services. It also forbids imposing extra taxes, withholdings, s, or charges solely because someone uses a card or digital asset rather than cash.
Residents and businesses using s, credit cards, or debit cards are legally protected from discriminatory fees or surcharges that do not also apply to cash transactions, though businesses remain free to choose whether or not to accept these payment methods.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Businesses and merchants
Merchants gain legal clarity that they cannot be forced to accept cards or digital assets, but if they do, they cannot levy fees based solely on the payment method unless identical fees apply to cash.
Consumers and cardholders
Consumers are protected from payment-method-specific taxes, withholdings, assessments, or surcharges on credit cards, debit cards, and digital assets.
Key Facts
- Repeals, reenacts as a new section of KRS Chapter 365, and amends KRS 369.135 regarding credit cards, debit cards, and digital assets.
- Defines 'credit card', 'debit card', 'digital asset', and 'wallet' for the purposes of the statute.
- Prohibits stopping individuals from accepting digital assets, credit cards, or debit cards for legal goods or services, or from using a digital wallet.
- Bans additional taxes, withholdings, assessments, or charges that are applied solely because a transaction uses a digital asset, credit card, or debit card.
Show all 6 facts
- Clarifies that standard taxes and charges applied equally to U.S. legal tender transactions are still permitted on card or digital asset transactions.
- Explicitly states that no person is required to accept a digital asset, credit card, or debit card as payment for legal goods or services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill force businesses to accept credit cards or digital assets?
Can a business charge an extra fee just because a customer pays with a credit card?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 4, 2026HouseCommitteeto Banking & Insurance (H)
- Feb 25, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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