SB3255 authorizes cash transaction rounding in Hawaii in response to the reported end of penny minting for general circulation and the resulting shortage of small change. The bill allows sellers of goods or services, other cash-transfer transactions, and cash wage payments to round totals to the nearest five cents when payment is made in cash or other legal tender. Under the rounding rules, amounts ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents are rounded down, while amounts ending in 3, 4, 8, or 9 cents are rounded up; transactions totaling 1 or 2 cents are rounded up to 5 cents.
Impact
The bill adds a new section to chapter 481B, Hawaii Revised Statutes, creating a statutory framework for cash rounding and making it effective July 1, 2026. It expressly excludes non-cash payment methods such as checks, credit cards, electronic fund transfers, gift cards, money orders, and similar instruments, so the rule applies only to cash transactions. It also bars private enforcement actions under the unfair and deceptive practices laws and shields compliant parties from liability under section 486-116, while clarifying that fees, surcharges, and taxes are included in the total transaction amount.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and treated as a practical consumer-and-business measure. It passed the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee twice with unanimous 5-0 votes, and later passed conference committees with only limited opposition in the Senate conference vote. The final enactment as Act 159 suggests the Legislature and Governor viewed the measure as a timely response to a real-world cash-handling problem rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
The main policy issue is how rounding affects consumers and businesses in cash transactions, especially because the bill permits rounding in both directions but requires rounding up for totals of one or two cents. Another point of concern is the bill’s interaction with consumer protection law: it expressly prevents private lawsuits and overrides contrary law, which may have been intended to reduce litigation risk but also limits enforcement options. The exclusion of electronic and card-based payments, and the inclusion of wages, fees, surcharges, and taxes in the rounding calculation, are additional details that could affect how the rule is applied in practice.
Requesting The Auditor Of The City And County Of Honolulu To Review And Audit The Current Permitting, Inspection, And Penalty Process For Monster Homes, And To Identify And Recommend Improvements To Address Associated Issues.
Requesting The Auditor Of The City And County Of Honolulu To Review And Audit The Current Permitting, Inspection, And Penalty Process For Monster Homes, And To Identify And Recommend Improvements To Address Associated Issues.