A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to clarify the collection of offender fines and fees.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 7A‑321 reads as rewritten:
"§ 7A‑321.  Collection of offender fines and fees assessed by the court.
(a)	Methods of Payment. – The Judicial Department may, in lieu of payment by cash or check, accept payment by credit card, charge card, or debit card for the fines, fees, and costs owed to the courts by offenders.
(b)	Contract to Collect Past Due Amounts. – The Department may contract with a county or a collection agency to collect unpaid fines, fees, costs, and restitution owed by offenders not sentenced to supervised probation if the amounts remain unpaid 30 days after the time allotted by the court. The Department may assess the offender a collection assistance fee equal to the amount charged by the county or collection agency to collect the amounts past due. The collection assistance fee may not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the amount past due. If the Department assesses a collection assistance fee under this subsection, it may not charge an additional cost of collection pursuant to G.S. 115C‑437. 				"
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.