🟩Relating to the elimination of the requirement that a portion of certain retail charge agreement delinquency fees be remitted to the comptroller.

HB 4739

✅ HB 4739: Removes an obsolete late-fee remittance rule

What it says it does:
HB 4739 repeals an old rule that required retailers and credit issuers to send fifty cents from certain late fees to the state comptroller for consumer credit research and education.

What it actually changes:
It deletes a section of the Finance Code that has not been used since 2019. The Finance Commission stopped receiving this money years ago, so the repeal clears an inactive law and relieves the comptroller from managing a fee that no longer exists.

Who is pushing for it:
Authored by Rep. Charlie Geren (R-HD99). The only listed witness was Phillip Ashley from the Comptroller’s office, who registered in favor. No PACs, lobbyists, or opposition were recorded in the files.

Who benefits:
Retailers and credit issuers keep full control of their late fees, and the comptroller’s office saves time and resources by eliminating a dead collection process. Lawmakers gain an example of legitimate code cleanup without controversy.

Who gets left out or exposed:
The old fee once helped fund consumer credit education and debt counseling programs. Those programs no longer receive dedicated support, though that funding had already lapsed before this bill.

Why this matters long term:
HB 4739 removes a piece of outdated law and shows that efficiency bills can be passed without hidden tradeoffs. It also closes off the option to easily revive this funding stream later, meaning future legislatures would have to start from scratch if they want to restore it.

What to watch next:
Watch whether Texas finds new ways to support financial literacy and debt counseling now that the fee mechanism is gone. That will determine whether this cleanup stays balanced or becomes a quiet loss for consumers.

Bottom line:
HB 4739 is a straightforward, low-risk cleanup bill. It reduces unnecessary bureaucracy and has no negative fiscal or constitutional impact. It keeps oversight intact while removing a rule that no longer worked.

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