H5138 • 2025

An Act relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Chan, Tackey
Last action: 2026-04-15
Official status: Referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity

An Act relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity By Representative Chan of Quincy and Senator Feeney, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Tackey Chan, Kate Donaghue and others relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity By Representative Chan of Quincy and Senator Feeney, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Tackey Chan, Kate Donaghue and others relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity.
Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.
Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-15 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 04/15/2026 from 01:00 PM-01:35 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2026-04-02 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 04/15/2026 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
2026-02-19 Senate
Senate concurred
2026-02-17 House
Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
2026-01-27 House
Referred to the committee on House Rules

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity
By Representative Chan of Quincy and Senator Feeney, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Tackey Chan, Kate Donaghue and others relative to consumer protections for low valued legal tender scarcity. Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.5138

SECTION 1.

Section 10A of chapter 255D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by added at the end thereof of the following 2 paragraphs:-

In any case in which the total transaction amount, including any taxes or fees, ends with 1 cent, 2 cents, 6 cents, or 7 cents as the final digit, the amount of cents in the sum shall be rounded down to the nearest amount divisible by 5 for any buyer seeking to make a payment or portion thereof with legal tender.

In any case in which the total transaction amount, including any taxes or fees, ends with 3 cents, 4 cents, 8 cents, or 9 cents as the final digit, the amount of cents in the sum shall be rounded up to the nearest amount divisible by 5 for any buyer seeking to make a payment or portion thereof with legal tender; provided, however, where the total transaction amount, including any taxes or fees, totals $0.01 or $0.02, such transaction may be rounded up to $0.05 for any buyer seeking to make a payment with legal tender.

The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to goods or services where a buyer offers to use as total payment: electronic fund transfer, check, gift card, money order, credit card, or other similar instrument or method not legal tender.

SECTION 2.

The office of consumer affairs and business regulation shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to ensure that establishments provide adequate notice to buyers and maintain the necessary systems and protocols in place relative to the use of legal tender or other forms of payment for goods and services.

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