LaMountain, Voas bill would make it illegal to charge seniors for paper invoices

STATE HOUSE — Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain and Rep. Brandon T. Voas have introduced legislation that would make it illegal to charge fees to senior citizens for paper invoices.

The Senior Savings Protection Act (2024-S 2278, 2024-H 7940) would prohibit the charging of any fees to a person who is 65 years of age or older for a hard-copy paper bill, invoice or statement. The violation of this provision would be a deceptive trade practice subject to a $500 fine.

“A large segment of the over-65 population is uncomfortable with online payments and digital banking,” said Senator LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston). “Many don’t even have access to the devices they need to utilize these digital services. They should not be charged a fee simply to receive a bill.”

“There is still a large segment of the elderly that has no Internet access,” said Representative Voas (D-Dist. 57, Cumberland, Central Falls). “This makes paperless billing a great challenge for them. A fee exemption for those over 65 would maintain our commitment to a greener billing process without forcing senior citizens to use a technology they may not be comfortable with.”