AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 50, relative to the use of self-service checkout.
SB2001 creates the “Tennessee Safe Stores and Staffed Stores Act,” regulating the use of self-service checkout in large drug retail establishments and food retail establishments. The bill defines covered stores and checkout types, then imposes operational requirements on stores that offer self-checkout, including minimum staffed-checkout ratios, item limits, restrictions on certain purchases, employee monitoring requirements, and public notice obligations. It also requires self-checkout areas to be positioned for observation and surveillance and bars employees assigned to monitor self-checkout from having other duties that would interfere with that role.
The bill authorizes customers and employees to bring civil actions against covered stores for violations. Prevailing plaintiffs may recover civil penalties, escalating daily penalties for uncured violations, and attorney’s fees and costs. The bill also prohibits retaliation against employees who seek to enforce the law or oppose prohibited practices. The act is set to take effect January 1, 2027, and applies prospectively to conduct occurring on or after that date.
The bill would add a new part to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 47, Chapter 18, creating state-law standards specifically governing self-service checkout in certain drug and food retail stores. It would impose new compliance duties on covered retailers, create a private right of action for customers and employees, and expose violators to civil penalties and fee shifting. The measure also touches Title 50 by addressing employee retaliation protections in the workplace context, though its primary regulatory effect is on retail operations and consumer checkout practices.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears aimed at increasing staffing, oversight, and consumer protections in self-checkout environments rather than eliminating self-checkout entirely. The absence of voting history or discussion prevents a reliable assessment of legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s apparent policy intent.
The most likely points of contention are the staffing mandates, the 15-item limit, and the prohibition on using self-checkout for ID-checked items such as alcohol or tobacco and for specially secured merchandise. Retailers may view the required employee-to-kiosk ratios, monitoring duties, and private enforcement mechanism as costly and operationally burdensome, especially for large stores with multiple self-checkout stations. Supporters would likely emphasize theft prevention, worker safety, customer oversight, and the need for staffed alternatives, while opponents may argue the bill restricts consumer convenience and imposes rigid rules on store operations.