Committee hears bill to preserve cash acceptance at many businesses; concerns from small-business and safety advocates
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Summary
Representative Chevrier’s HB 304 would require certain brick‑and‑mortar businesses (10+ employees) to accept cash and delays implementation to July 1, 2027. Supporters cited inclusion and resilience; small‑business groups and housing authorities raised operational, safety, and cost concerns. Committee advanced procedure without final action.
Representative Chevrier and State Treasurer Marlo Oakes presented HB 304 as a measure to preserve lawful‑tender cash acceptance for physical businesses with 10 or more employees and to delay implementation until July 1, 2027. Sponsors framed the measure as protecting payment choice, reducing exclusion of unbanked Utahns, and ensuring resilience during outages or cyber incidents.
The bill’s scope emerged as a central question. Committee members asked whether campus concession stands, stadium vendors and government entities would be covered. Sponsors said the bill applies to brick-and-mortar suppliers with a physical point-of-sale and acknowledged planned studies to assess impacts on campuses and stadiums.
Public testimony was mixed. Jake Andrag (NARO) said housing authorities need carve-outs for safety when tenants pay large cash sums; NFIB’s Casey Hill repeated his association’s opposition to a mandate that limits small-business autonomy. Several small-business owners, including a long-time cash-only restaurant owner, said cash access preserves customer choice and reduces merchant fees; Girl Scout leaders and other community members said cash is essential for grassroots sales and youth programs.
Committee disposition: after public comment and sponsor responses, the committee took a procedural vote to move on to the next agenda item; the bill remained in committee for further work and study on definitions and carve-outs.
Why it matters: the issue balances consumer access and inclusion against business autonomy, cost and safety concerns. Stakeholders asked the sponsor to consider exemptions (housing authorities, limits for large cash collections) and to refine the scope for mobile vendors or events.