TX SB2026

Prohibits payment card networks from charging swipe fees (interchange and assessment fees) on the state and local tax portions of electronic payment transactions, including sales tax, hotel occupancy tax, motor fuels tax, mixed beverage tax, and vehicle rental taxes

Requires swipe fees to be excluded from gratuities that are listed separately on payment invoices

Payment card networks must either deduct tax and gratuity amounts from swipe fee calculations at settlement, or provide merchants a rebate for swipe fees charged on those amounts within 30 days of receiving sales data (and no later than 180 days after the transaction)

Makes it unlawful for payment card issuers or networks to increase swipe fee rates on non-tax portions of transactions to circumvent the law's requirements

Authorizes civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, enforceable by the attorney general, with violators required to refund merchants for improperly charged swipe fees