Requires anyone engaged in the sale of goods or services, and who offers a discount to its customers’ for utilizing automatic payment systems, via ACH or EFT or similar payment systems, provide the same discount to any person who is sixty-five (65).

Summary: RI Senior Savings Protection Act

This bill would require businesses in Rhode Island that offer discounts to customers who sign up for automatic payments — such as automatic bank transfers (ACH) or electronic funds transfers (EFT) — to also give that same discount to customers who are 65 years old or older, even if those seniors don't use the automatic payment system. In other words, if a company lowers your bill for setting up autopay, it would have to offer that same lower price to seniors regardless of how they choose to pay.

The bill is designed to address a concern that older adults may be less likely or less able to use digital automatic payment systems, and therefore miss out on savings that other customers receive. By requiring businesses to extend those discounts to seniors automatically, the bill aims to make sure that people 65 and older are not financially penalized simply because they prefer or need to pay their bills in a different way, such as by check or in person.

This bill would affect any business in Rhode Island that sells goods or services and currently offers autopay discounts — this could include utility companies, insurance providers, subscription services, and others. Seniors 65 and older would benefit by receiving the same discounts without needing to change how they pay. Businesses would need to adjust their billing and discount practices to comply with the new requirement.

As of now, the bill has been referred to the House Corporations Committee and is scheduled for a hearing in January 2026, but it has not yet been passed into law.