CASH TRANSACTIONS: ROUNDING

An Act relating to rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: REPRESENTATIVES SADDLER, Himschoot, Carrick
Last action: 2026-05-14
Official status: (H) FIN
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Rounding Cash Transactions

This act requires sellers to round cash transaction totals to the nearest five cents.

What This Bill Does

Requires sellers to round cash transaction totals to the nearest amount divisible by five cents when processing a cash transaction.
Specifies that if a total ends in one cent, two cents, six cents, or seven cents, it should be rounded down.
States that if a total ends in three cents, four cents, eight cents, or nine cents, it should be rounded up.
Exempts transactions made by electronic funds transfer, money order, credit card, debit card, electronic payment, or other similar payment methods.

Who It Names or Affects

Sellers who engage in the business of selling goods or services and process cash transactions.
Customers making purchases with cash.

Terms To Know

Seller: A person who engages in the business of selling, contracting for the sale of, or arranging for the sale of goods or services.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify an effective date.
The act does not apply to transactions made with non-cash payment methods.

Bill History

2026-05-14 Text
(H) Scheduled but Not Heard
2026-05-14 Text
(H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120
2026-05-13 2526
(H) REFERRED TO FINANCE
2026-05-13 2526
(H) FN1: ZERO(GOV/COMBINED)
2026-05-13 2526
(H) AM: HIMSCHOOT
2026-05-13 2526
(H) DP: VANCE, MCCABE, ST. CLAIR, HOLLAND, STORY, CARRICK
2026-05-13 2526
(H) STA RPT 6DP 1AM
2026-05-12 Text
(H) Moved HB 281 Out of Committee
2026-05-12 Text
(H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120
2026-05-06 2427
(H) COSPONSOR(S): CARRICK
2026-04-30 Text
(H) Heard & Held
2026-04-30 Text
(H) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:15 PM GRUENBERG 120
2026-02-04 1561
(H) COSPONSOR(S): HIMSCHOOT
2026-01-26 1499
(H) STA, FIN
2026-01-26 1499
(H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

CASH TRANSACTIONS: ROUNDING
An Act relating to rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB0281a -1- HB 281
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1281\A

HOUSE BILL NO. 281

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVES SADDLER, Himschoot

Introduced: 1/26/26
Referred: State Affairs, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to rounding cash transactions to the nearest five cents." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 45.45 is amended by adding a new section to read: 3
Sec. 45.45.940. Cash transaction rounding. (a) When processing a cash 4
transaction, a seller that rounds cash transactions to the nearest five cents shall 5
determine the total price of the transaction by first summing the price of the goods and 6
services being purchased, including discounts, then applying applicable sales or other 7
taxes, and then, when necessary to obtain a total divisible by five cents, rounding as 8
follows: 9
(1) if the total ends in one cent, two cents, six cents, or seven cents, the 10
total is rounded down to the nearest amount divisible by five cents; 11
(2) if the total ends in three cents, four cents, eight cents, or nine cents, 12
the total is rounded up to the nearest amount divisible by five cents. 13
(b) This section does not apply to transactions for which payment is made by 14
electronic funds transfer, money order, credit card, debit card, electronic payment, or 15
34-LS1281\A
HB 281 -2- HB0281a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

other similar payment method. 1
(c) A tax imposed by the state or a local government does not apply to a gain 2
or loss resulting from rounding. 3
(d) In this section, "seller" means a person who engages in the business of 4
selling, contracting for the sale of, or arranging for the sale of goods or services. 5