A 7929: Prohibits food stores and retail establishments from refusing to accept payment in cash; provides a civil penalty will be assessed for such actions.
The bill aims to protect consumers by prohibiting food stores and retail establishments from refusing to accept payment in cash. This law applies to establishments that sell food or consumer commodities, and it does not include banks or trust companies. Retail establishments can refuse to accept cash for bills above twenty dollars or for certain types of transactions, but they must charge the same price for the same commodity whether paid in cash or through a cashless transaction. Violating this law can result in a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars for the first violation and up to one thousand five hundred dollars for each subsequent violation. There is an exception for establishments that provide a device to convert cash into a prepaid card, which must provide receipts and accept cash payments even if the device malfunctions.
- What is the current status of A 7929?
- As of September 28, 2025, A 7929 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on May 29, 2025, was "substituted by s4153a".
- Did A 7929 pass?
- Not yet. A 7929 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote A 7929, and where is it now?
- A 7929 was authored by Asm. Catalina Cruz with 12 coauthors.
| May. 29, 2025 | substituted by s4153a |
| May. 29, 2025 | ordered to third reading rules cal.349 |
| May. 29, 2025 | rules report cal.349 |
| May. 29, 2025 | reported |
| May. 28, 2025 | reported referred to rules |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7929 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY April 15, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ, FALL, RIVERA, LUNSFORD, MEEKS, FORREST, JACKSON, CLARK, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, EPSTEIN, ZINERMAN, GALLAGHER, ROSEN- THAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and 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