Public testimony Feb. 19, 2025, highlighted consumer privacy and small‑business concerns over a proposed bill, HB 5,744, that would bar businesses from requiring customers to store credit or debit card information for routine transactions or automatic renewals.

Paula Ryan of Ryan Oil Company, a fuel dealer, said many customers — including college students and parents — rely on automatic payments to ensure timely home heating deliveries and discounts. Ryan said her company encrypts payment information and uses a processor; it does not store card numbers on local computers.

In contrast, Jane Presnick Lyon and other consumer witnesses said they had been coerced into leaving cards on file for medical and other essential services and urged protection for patients and vulnerable consumers. Presnick Lyon recounted being told she could not book an eye‑care appointment without a card on file and said the practice could limit access to health care.

Business groups including the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) and the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association opposed language they said would, in practice, prevent automatic renewals and one‑click purchases because companies need a stored payment token to complete recurring billing. CBIA sought clarifications that the bill should prohibit forcing a customer to use a card on file, while still allowing customers who want auto‑payments to opt in.

Committee members and witnesses agreed on one point: the policy trade‑offs between convenience and consumer privacy. Several members said they intend to work with proponents and affected industries to clarify the language so that customers retain choice without inadvertently eliminating widely used payment conveniences such as opt‑in auto‑renewals and vaulting by PCI‑compliant processors.

No committee vote occurred at the hearing.