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Assembly Bill A2540

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Enacts the "cash acceptance act"

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A2540 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Consumer Affairs And Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §396-ii, Gen Bus L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: A9733
2023-2024: A105

2025-A2540 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits food-service and retail establishments from refusing to accept cash as payment for goods or services; calls for a civil fine if an establishment should refuse cash as payment.

2025-A2540 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2540
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH, GLICK, DeSTEFANO -- Multi-Sponsored by --
   M. of A.  SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer
   Affairs and Protection
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the general business law, in relation to prohibiting
   retail establishments from refusing to accept payment in cash

   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-ii to read as follows:
   §  396-II.  CASHLESS  POLICIES PROHIBITED. A. AS USED IN THIS SECTION,
 THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (I) "FOOD-SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT" SHALL  MEAN  AN  ESTABLISHMENT  WHICH
 GIVES OR OFFERS FOR SALE FOOD OR BEVERAGES TO THE PUBLIC FOR CONSUMPTION
 OR USE ON OR OFF THE PREMISES.
   (II)  "RETAIL  ESTABLISHMENT"  SHALL  MEAN  AN  ESTABLISHMENT IN WHICH
 CONSUMER COMMODITIES ARE SOLD, DISPLAYED OR OFFERED FOR SALE,  OR  WHICH
 PROVIDES SERVICES TO CONSUMERS AT RETAIL.
   B.  IT  SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A FOOD-SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT OR A RETAIL
 ESTABLISHMENT, AS POLICY, TO REFUSE  TO  ACCEPT  PAYMENT  IN  CASH  FROM
 CONSUMERS.
   C. A FOOD-SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT OR RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT VIOLATING THIS
 SECTION  IS  LIABLE  FOR  A  CIVIL  PENALTY OF NOT MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE
 HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION AND A CIVIL PENALTY OF NOT  MORE
 THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH SUCCEEDING VIOLATION.
   D.  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR  MAY  PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AS IT DEEMS
 NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04264-01-5

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