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Committee approves penny-rounding bill as amended to cover certain cash transactions
Summary
House Bill 2388, as amended, would create penny-rounding rules for cash payments to Commonwealth agencies, municipal authorities, political subdivisions and—per the amendment—some private-sector cash transactions; the committee passed the amendment and bill unanimously and chairs signaled a floor amendment may follow to clarify details.
Chairman Conklin called up House Bill 2388 and the clerk summarized that the bill would implement penny-rounding rules for cash payments to Commonwealth agencies, municipal authorities, political subdivisions and public utilities. The committee considered Amendment A03476, which expands rounding procedures and provides exceptions for exact change and certain cash payments.
Representative Davidson described the amendment as responsive to requests from the business community for clarity and said it extends the bill’s reach beyond government entities to cover some commercial transactions, bringing stakeholders into the process.
"If it ends in a 1 or a 2, you go down. A 3 or 4, you go up. 6 or 7, down. 8 or 9, up," Representative Davidson said, explaining the rounding rule the bill models.
Chairman Lawrence said the amendment significantly broadens the bill and recounted conversations with the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, NFIB, the Food Merchants Association and other stakeholders; he said he planned to offer a floor amendment to clarify remaining questions but would vote to move the measure forward.
The committee recorded no negative votes on the amendment or the bill as amended; both were announced as passed unanimously.
