Bill Text: NY S04153 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 4153

Introduced

Bill Title: Prohibits retail establishments including food-service establishments from refusing to accept payment in cash; provides a civil penalty will be assessed for such actions.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-12 - 2ND REPORT CAL. [S04153 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S04153-Introduced.html




                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4153

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 3, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  SANDERS,  ADDABBO,  MAY, MURRAY -- 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 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:

     1    Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
     2  396-ii to read as follows:
     3    §  396-ii.  Cashless  policies prohibited. a. As used in this section,
     4  the following terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    (i) "Food-service establishment" shall  mean  an  establishment  which
     6  gives or offers for sale food or beverages to the public for consumption
     7  or use on or off the premises.
     8    (ii)  "Retail  establishment"  shall  mean  an  establishment in which
     9  consumer commodities are sold, displayed or offered for sale,  or  which
    10  provides services to consumers at retail.
    11    b.  It  shall be unlawful for a food-service establishment or a retail
    12  establishment, as policy, to refuse  to  accept  payment  in  cash  from
    13  consumers.
    14    c. A food-service establishment or retail establishment violating this
    15  section is liable for a civil penalty of not more than two hundred fifty
    16  dollars  for  the  first  violation and a civil penalty of not more than
    17  five hundred dollars for each succeeding violation.
    18    d. The department of labor may  promulgate  such  rules  as  it  deems
    19  necessary to implement and enforce this section.
    20    § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    21  it shall have become a law.


         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00727-01-5