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Bill that would permit rounding cash sales to nearest nickel advances unanimously
Summary
House Bill 17 44 would add permissive guidance for private businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel if pennies go out of circulation. Sponsor said it offers safe harbor under consumer-protection law; the committee adopted an amendment and advanced the bill 20–0.
Professor Baum presented House Bill 17 44, explaining that the measure would add permissive language to state law advising private businesses on how to round cash transactions if pennies are no longer in circulation. The sponsor described a simple scheme: totals ending in 1¢–2¢ round to 0¢, 3¢–4¢ round to 5¢, 6¢–7¢ round to 5¢, and 8¢–9¢ round to 10¢, with the goal of giving businesses a statutory safe harbor from consumer-protection liability.
Committee members questioned whether rounding would apply only to cash, and whether any rounded cents would be directed to nonprofits or to the Department of Revenue. Legal services clarified that the provision applies only to cash transactions and that rounding would begin when pennies are no longer in circulation; if exact change is tendered, businesses would not need to round. The committee adopted an amendment and voted 20–0 to send the amended bill to Calendar and Rules.
Sponsor comment (as presented in committee): “It essentially says you round to the next nickel so that if the cash purchase ended in a in 1¢ or 2¢, you'd round down to 0¢. If it ended in 3¢ or 4¢, you'd round up.”
