Senate Bill S4133

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to requiring merchants to accept cash as payment for goods

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

2021-S4133 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A22
Current Committee:
Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §396-ff, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: A10686
2019-2020: S5135, A771
2023-2024: S342, A7146

2021-S4133 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires merchants to accept cash as payment for goods and services; permits the superintendent of financial services to provide exemptions based on certain criteria.

2021-S4133 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S4133 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4133
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 2, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law, in relation to requiring
   merchants to accept cash as payment for goods
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
 396-ff to read as follows:
   §  396-FF.  CASH  PAYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION. 1. ANY RETAIL MERCANTILE
 ESTABLISHMENT AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE TWELVE-B OF THIS CHAPTER,  IN  WHICH
 FOOD  IS  PREPARED,  SOLD,  OR  SERVED SUBJECT TO TITLE EIGHT OF ARTICLE
 THIRTEEN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, OR OTHER ESTABLISHMENT OFFERING GOODS
 OR SERVICES FOR SALE SHALL ACCEPT UNITED STATES CURRENCY (CASH) AS LEGAL
 TENDER WHEN OFFERED AS PAYMENT. SUCH ESTABLISHMENT SHALL  NOT  DISCRIMI-
 NATE AGAINST A CASH BUYER BY REQUIRING THE USE OF A CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD
 OR  ELECTRONIC  PAYMENT  DEVICE  OR  PROCESS  IN ORDER TO PURCHASE FOOD,
 GOODS, OR SERVICES. THIS SECTION SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  TELEPHONE,  MAIL
 ORDER,  ELECTRONIC,  ONLINE, OR OTHER TRANSACTIONS IN WHICH THE BUYER IS
 NOT PRESENT IN THE ESTABLISHMENT'S PHYSICAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.
   2. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES MAY MAKE
 REGULATIONS  TO  IMPLEMENT  THIS  SECTION,  INCLUDING  AUTHORIZATION  OF
 EXEMPTIONS  OR  EXCLUSIONS  FROM  THIS SECTION. EXEMPTIONS OR EXCLUSIONS
 UNDER THIS SECTION MAY BE PROVIDED BASED ON CRITERIA INCLUDING, BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO,  THE  NATURE  OF THE ESTABLISHMENT; THE NATURE OF THE FOOD,
 GOODS, OR SERVICES; THE DENOMINATION OF CURRENCY USED; OR THE AMOUNT  OF
 THE TRANSACTION.
   3.  A  VIOLATION  OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE PUNISHABLE BY A FINE NOT TO
 EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the superintendent of
 the department of financial services may make regulations and take other
 actions reasonably necessary to implement this act on that date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.