New Bill Looks To Ban Self-Checkout At Stores

A new bill in California could ban self-checkout at grocery stores.

In an effort to cut down on theft in California, state senators in California have proposed Senate Bill 1446, which aims to prohibit retailers from having self-checkout for their customers.

Senate Bill 1446 reads, “A grocery or retail drug establishment cannot provide a self-service checkout option for customers unless specified conditions are met.”

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas said stores with self-checkout have 16 times more losses than stores without self-checkout machines.

California bill could remove self-checkout lanes at grocers, certain retailers | Fox Business. https://t.co/uauDPi6jIW

— XPNAiiMODEDX26 🇵🇭 (@XPNAiiMODEDX26) May 7, 2024

California bill could remove self-checkout lanes at grocers, certain retailers https://t.co/sHEzz2UxGI

— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) May 7, 2024

Here’s what Fox Business reported:

A newly proposed bill in California could ban grocery stores and certain retailers from offering self-checkout options for customers in an effort to cut down on theft.

Senate Bill 1446 would “prohibit a grocery or retail drug establishment from providing a self-service checkout option for customers unless specified conditions are met,” according to a summary of the proposed legislation.

Some of these conditions are that no more than two self-service checkout stations can be monitored by any one employee and the employee has to be relieved of all other duties, according to the bill summary.

It would also make grocers and certain retailers assess the potential impact of using certain artifical intelligence or other technology that “significantly affects the essential job functions of its employees” or completely eliminates their jobs.

Democratic state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, who introduced the bill, said self-checkout machines cause 16 times more losses compared to check-outs with a cashier.

Today in California being a totalitarian state…they're looking to severely limit and semi-BAN self-checkout kisoks.

It's under the guise of cutting down on theft, but it's clear the progressive nuts want to force stores to hire more people. pic.twitter.com/BokPM7A7XE

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 7, 2024

Per USA Today:

A proposed bill in California could lead to fewer self-checkout kiosks in the Golden State.

Senate Bill 1446, part of a bill package introduced by California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas in February, would require many large grocery and drug retail stores to staff up their self-checkout stations.

Experts say the bill could result in more stores moving away from the technology, which aims to reduce labor costs.

The proposed mandates come as retailers continue to voice concerns about shrinkage – an industry term for missing inventory from theft, broken items and other factors.

The bill’s goal, according to testimony from Smallwood-Cuevas in a hearing earlier this year, is to reduce retail theft while also adding jobs and protecting workers and shoppers.

Critics say the bill would impose unnecessary regulations on stores that are already starting to limit or scale back their use of self-checkout.