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Committee approves amendment requiring merchants to accept exact pennies
Summary
A Georgia legislative committee approved an amendment clarifying that if a customer offers exact change including pennies, a merchant must accept that exact amount rather than force rounding to the nearest nickel. The change was adopted by voice vote during the meeting.
A legislative committee meeting approved a one-sentence amendment to a previously passed bill to ensure merchants accept exact pennies as legal tender.
The amendment, identified in the transcript as L620428S and introduced by Representative Barrett, adds language stating that "while the 1¢ piece of The United States remains legal tender, any merchant shall accept exact payment and legal tender for the total amount due computed prior to any rounding." Barrett said the change closes a gap where, under the bill’s rounding rule, some customers could be forced to round even when they have exact change.
Committee members discussed the intent briefly, and the sponsor explained the provision is meant to reduce consumer angst by ensuring people with exact coins are not forced to round their payments. A motion to adopt the change was made and seconded; the committee approved the amendment by voice vote. The transcript records the chair saying, "You got your bill," after the vote.
The amendment is procedural and limited in scope: it clarifies how merchants should treat exact coins at the point of sale rather than altering tax, pricing, or payment systems.
The committee moved on to other business after approving the amendment.
