Requires merchants to round cash purchases to the nearest five cent denomination in order to reduce the circulation of pennies within New York state

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9274

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                  I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                    November 21, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. McDONALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law, in relation to requiring
          merchants to round cash purchases to the  nearest  five  cent  denomi-
          nation  in  order to reduce the circulation of pennies within New York
          state

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section  1.   Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "New Yorkers for Common Cents Act".
     3    § 2.  The general business law is amended  by  adding  a  new  section
     4  399-ooo to read as follows:
     5    §  399-OOO.  1.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS
     6  SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
     7    (A) "MERCHANT" SHALL MEAN  ANY  PERSON,  CORPORATION,  OR  PARTNERSHIP
     8  ENGAGED  IN  THE  BUSINESS  OF THE SALE OF GOODS OR SERVICES ENGAGING IN
     9  FACE-TO-FACE, IN-PERSON SALES.
    10    (B) "LEGAL TENDER" SHALL MEAN ALL COINS AND CURRENCIES OF  THE  UNITED
    11  STATES.
    12    2.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, ANY
    13  MERCHANT DOING BUSINESS IN THIS STATE SHALL DETERMINE THE TOTAL PRICE OF
    14  SUCH GOODS OR SERVICES IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:
    15    (A) PRICES OF GOODS AND SERVICES SHALL BE  TOTALED,  ANY  DISCOUNT  OR
    16  DEDUCTION  THEREFOR  MADE,  AND  SALES TAX OR OTHER TAX IMPOSED, IF ANY,
    17  ADDED TO THAT TOTAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF  THE  MUNICIPALITY  IN
    18  WHICH SUCH GOODS OR SERVICES ARE SOLD; AND
    19    (B)(I) IF A MILL, ONE CENT, TWO CENTS, SIX CENTS, OR SEVEN CENTS IS AT
    20  THE  END  OF  THE  RESULTING  SUM, THAT SUM SHALL BE ROUNDED DOWN TO THE
    21  NEAREST AMOUNT DIVISIBLE BY FIVE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS  SEEKING  TO  PAY
    22  THEREFOR WITH LEGAL TENDER; OR

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11817-02-5
        A. 9274                             2

     1    (II)  IF THREE CENTS, FOUR CENTS, EIGHT CENTS, OR NINE CENTS IS AT THE
     2  END OF THE RESULTING SUM, THAT SUM SHALL BE ROUNDED UP  TO  THE  NEAREST
     3  AMOUNT  DIVISIBLE  BY FIVE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS SEEKING TO PAY THEREFOR
     4  WITH LEGAL TENDER.
     5    3.  THE  PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY
     6  TO THE FOLLOWING:
     7    (A) TRANSACTIONS FOR WHICH THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS FOUR CENTS OR LESS; OR
     8    (B) TRANSACTIONS FOR WHICH PAYMENT IS MADE BY ANY DEMAND OR NEGOTIABLE
     9  INSTRUMENT, ELECTRONIC FUND TRANSFER, MONEY ORDER,  CREDIT  CARD,  DEBIT
    10  CARD, ELECTRONIC PAYMENT, OR OTHER LIKE INSTRUMENT.
    11    4.  ANY TAX IMPOSED BY STATE OR MUNICIPAL TAXING AUTHORITIES SHALL NOT
    12  APPLY TO GAINS OR LOSSES RESULTING FROM ROUNDING.
    13    5. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  FINANCIAL  SERVICES  MAY
    14  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS  TO  IMPLEMENT  THIS SECTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
    15  LIMITED TO, AUTHORIZATION OF EXEMPTIONS OR EXCLUSIONS FROM THIS SECTION.
    16    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    17  it shall have become a law.