HR 252 — COMMERCE: Urges and requests the attorney general to study the use of pennies and credit card fees by businesses

HLSENROLLED 26RS-1117 ENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.

252 BY REPRESENTATIVE CHASSION COMMERCE:A RESOLUTION To urge and request the attorney general to study the inconsistent practices among businesses in this state regarding the rounding of cash transactions following the cessation of penny production by the United States Mint, the imposition of convenience fees or surcharges on consumers who use credit cards or debit cards to complete transactions, and the combined effect of such practices on consumer confidence and trust in commercial transactions.

Urges and requests the attorney general to study the use of pennies and credit card fees bybusinesses A RESOLUTION To urge and request the attorney general to study the inconsistent practices among businesses in this state regarding the rounding of cash transactions following the cessation of penny production by the United States Mint, the imposition of convenience fees or surcharges on consumers who use credit cards or debit cards to complete transactions, and the combined effect of such practices on consumer confidence and trust in commercial transactions.

and WHEREAS, while existing pennies remain legal tender, the number of pennies currentlyin circulationcirculationwill will graduallydiminish ascoinsarelost,as coinsarelost, damaged,orremovedfrom circulation, and no new pennies will be produced to replace them;

and Page 1 of 5 HLS 26RS-1117 ENGROSSED HR NO.

252 ENROLLED WHEREAS, in the absence of uniform guidance, businesses across this state have adopted widely varying practices in handling cash transactions, such as rounding up to the nearest five cents, rounding down, rounding to the nearest five cents using symmetric rounding, requiring exact change, or even refusing to accept cash altogether;

and WHEREAS, these fees vary widely among businesses in both amount and application, such as imposingflatfees, imposing percentage-basedsurcharges,flat orfees, imposing percentage-based surcharges,orimposing fees only on certain card types or transaction amounts, creating further uncertainty and confusion for consumers at the point of sale;

and WHEREAS, consumers who paywith cash maybe subject to unfavorableroundingunfavorable rounding practices or maybe unable to receive exact change, while consumers who paywith a credit card or debit card to avoid rounding maythen be subject to a convenience fee or surcharge, leaving consumers to face unpredictable and opaque costs regardless of the method of payment they choose;

and WHEREAS, small businesses and cash-intensive industries in this state, including restaurants, convenience stores, and retail establishments, also face uncertainty regarding Pagebest 2practices offor 5rounding HLSand 26RS-1117fee ENGROSSEDpolicies, HRand NO.would benefit from clear and uniform guidance;

252 best practices for rounding and feePage policies,2 andof would5 benefitHR fromNO. clear and uniform guidance;

and252 ENROLLED WHEREAS,pursuanttoR.S.51:1404, theconsumerprotectionsectionofthepublic protection division of the officeofficeof of the attorneygeneral is vested with the power and dutyto investigate, conduct studies and research, and conduct hearings into commercial and trade practicesinthedistribution,financing,andfurnishingofgoodsandservicesto,orfortheuse of consumers, and to advise the governor and the legislature on matters of consumer protection;

and WHEREAS, the Legislature ofLouisianarecognizesof Louisiana recognizes its responsibilityto protectprotectthe the economic interests of the citizens and businesses of this state and to promote fairness, transparency, and consumer confidence in the marketplace.

(1) A survey and analysis of the varying rounding practices currentlyemployed by businesses in this state for cash transactions, including whether those practices are applied consistently,consistently,disclosedto disclosedto consumers,andconductedin amannerthatisfairandtransparent.amannerthatis fairandtransparent.

(2) An analysis of the prevalence, amount, and application of convenience fees, surcharges, or servicecharges imposed on consumers in this state for the use of credit cards Pageor 3debit ofcards,and 5the HLSextent 26RS-1117to ENGROSSEDwhich HRthose NO.fees areclearlydisclosed to consumers prior to the completion of a transaction.

252Page or3 debit cards,and the extent to which those fees areclearlydisclosed to consumers prior to the completion of a5 transaction.HR NO.

252 ENROLLED (3) An assessment of the combined effect of inconsistent rounding practices and conveniencefeeson consumers,includingwhetherthesepracticescreateanenvironmentin whichconsumersareunabletocompleteroutinetransactionswithoutincurringunpredictable or opaque costs regardless of their chosen method of payment.

(5) A reviewreviewof of the roundingstandards,rounding standards, conveniencefee regulations, and consumer protection policies adopted by other states and nations, and whether any of those policies ought to be adopted by this state.

(6) Recommendations as to whether legislation, administrative rules, or other state policy is necessary or advisable to establish uniform rounding standards for cash transactions, to regulate the imposition and disclosure of convenience fees for card transactions,andtotransactions,andtopromoteconsumerconfidenceandtrust promoteconsumerconfidenceandtrustinthefairnessandtransparencyin thefairnessandtransparency of commercial transactions in this state.

(7) Any other matters the attorneyattorneygeneral general deems relevant to ensuring fairness and transparency in commercial transactions in light of the cessation of penny production and the proliferation of convenience fees.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the attorney general is hereby urged and requested to consult with the Louisiana Retailers Association, the Louisiana Restaurant Association,Association,the the Louisiana BankersAssociation,theDepartmentofRevenue,Bankers andAssociation, anyotherthe DepartmentofRevenue,andanyother stakeholders the office deems appropriate in conductingthis study.

PageBEITFURTHER 4RESOLVEDthattheattorneygeneralshallsubmitoneprintcopy and one electronic copy of 5any HLSreport 26RS-1117produced ENGROSSEDpursuant HRto NO.this Resolution to the David R.

252 BEITFURTHERRESOLVEDthattheattorneygeneralshall submit oneprintcopy and one electronic copy of any report produced pursuant to this Resolution to the David R.

BEPage IT4 FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this5 ResolutionHR beNO. transmitted to the director of the public protection division of the office of the attorneygeneral, the secretary of the Departmentof Revenue, the chair of the LouisianaRetailers Association, the chair of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and the president of the Louisiana Bankers Association.

DIGEST252 ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislativeENROLLED Services.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the director of the public protection division of the office of the attorney general, the secretary of the Departmentof Revenue, the chair of the Louisiana Retailers Association, thechair of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and the president of the Louisiana Bankers Association.

ItSPEAKER constitutesOF nopartTHE ofHOUSE theOF legislativeREPRESENTATIVES instrument.Page 5 of 5

The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.

[R.S.

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HR 252 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Chassion Requests the attorney general to study the inconsistent practices among businesses in this stateregardingtheroundingofcashtransactionsfollowingthecessationofpennyproduction intheUnitedStates,theimpositionofconveniencefeesorsurchargesonconsumerswhouse credit cards or debit cards to complete transactions, and the combined effect of such practices on consumer confidence and trust in commercial transactions.

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