S3977 would authorize businesses that accept cash to round certain cash transaction totals to the nearest nickel or dime when calculating the amount due at the point of sale. The bill sets specific rounding rules based on the final cent amount: totals ending in 1 or 2 cents round down to the nearest 10 cents; 3 or 4 cents round to 5 cents; 6 or 7 cents round down to 5 cents; and 8 or 9 cents round to the nearest 10 cents. The measure applies only to cash transactions and does not affect payments made by check, debit card, credit card, wire transfer, or other non-cash methods.
The bill also clarifies that voluntary round-up donation programs are allowed, so long as customers can opt in and opt out. Businesses that violate the act would face civil penalties that escalate from $1,000 for a first offense to $2,500 for a second offense and $5,000 for third and subsequent offenses, with each day of violation treated as a separate offense. The act would take effect 30 days after enactment.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would add a new consumer-transaction rule to Title 56 of the Revised Statutes governing how cash totals may be rounded at retail point of sale. It would not change pricing rules for electronic payments, but it would create a statutory framework and enforcement mechanism for businesses that choose to round cash amounts, including penalty exposure enforced through the Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999 in Superior Court. The bill would also preserve and explicitly permit optional charitable round-up programs.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a straightforward consumer-payment regulation with no documented opposition or support in the supplied record. The sponsor list and committee-reported version suggest the bill advanced in committee with amendments, indicating at least some legislative support for standardizing cash rounding practices.
Contention
The main policy issue is how cash rounding should be structured and whether businesses should be permitted to round up or down within the specified cent ranges. The bill’s amendments show attention to limiting discretion and clarifying that rounding rules apply only to cash, while preserving voluntary donation round-up programs. Potential points of contention could include consumer fairness, merchant flexibility, and enforcement penalties, but no specific objections or competing viewpoints are included in the provided transcripts or vote history.