Bill > S508

This bill establishes a 15-member commission tasked with studying criminal activity at automated teller machines (ATMs), which are machines that allow customers to perform banking transactions without a human teller, and identifying ways to improve the safety of ATM users in Massachusetts. The commission will examine the feasibility of implementing enhanced security measures for both bank and non-bank ATMs, whether enclosed or free-standing, at financial institutions and commercial locations. These measures include improved lighting, reflective surfaces, surveillance cameras, locking doors for enclosed facilities, a direct connection to 911 emergency services, programming ATMs to alert law enforcement when an emergency personal identification number (PIN) is used, and parking restrictions around enclosed ATMs. The commission will also develop criteria to determine varying security needs for ATMs based on their geographic location within the state. The commission's membership will include designees from state government offices like the Division of Banks and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, legislative leaders, appointees from minority party leaders, and representatives from various industry groups such as banks, credit unions, non-bank ATM providers, police chiefs, the insurance industry, retailers, and consumer groups. The commission is required to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the state legislature and the joint committee on financial services within 12 months of the bill's effective date.