Aiming to marshal forces against legislation banning ATM surcharges, the American Bankers Association on Tuesday will gather representatives of industries that could become allies.
"Our main purpose is to determine who are all the divergent interest groups that have interest in ATM access fees," said Beth Climo, the ABA's group director for financial industry affairs. "But if in fact there is a core of organizations that make this a high-priority issue, the end result may be a coalition" to fight the legislation.
Attending the half-day meeting will be about 50 bankers, ATM network officials, and representatives of airports, resorts, and other industries whose members have the machines on their premises.
Two groups set to attend are the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America and the National Association of Convenience Stores. Both groups are concerned that banning surcharges could reduce the number of ATMs, said R. Timothy Columbus, a lawyer who represents the two associations.
"My clients see this as a matter of consumer convenience," said Mr. Columbus, a partner with the Collier, Shannon, Rill & Scott law firm here. "Customers want these machines there, so who are we to tell them no?"
At Tuesday's meeting, attention will focus on a bill to ban ATM surcharges introduced last year by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Alfonse M. D'Amato, R-N.Y. While there is little Republican support for the measure, observers said the banking industry isn't taking any chances, especially because Sen. D'Amato is up for reelection.
"It is an election year, so you cannot rule out that this bill could become very politicized and conceivably could move," said Joe Belew, president of the Consumer Bankers Association, which held a meeting similar to the ABA's on Dec. 16.
On the House side, Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., is sponsoring a bill mirroring Sen. D'Amato's. Under another bill co-sponsored by Reps. Marge Roukema, R-N.J., and Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., banks would be forced to post surcharge fees on ATM screens and give customers the option of canceling a transaction.
Trade group officials also are keeping their eye on states such as Massachusetts. A bill to ban ATM surcharges was approved by the Senate there and awaits House approval.
"Our concern is as much with the state-level stuff as with the federal level," Ms. Climo said. "There is a very high likelihood of seeing bills in several other New England states and also in California."
The controversial surcharges, usually $1 to $2, have taken off since April 1996, when MasterCard International and Visa U.S.A. lifted bans against the fees.
