10/23/2026
A bill in New York's state Assembly would require grocery stores that offer self-checkout to cut 10% from the price of everything customers buy at those kiosks. Bill A11501 was filed on May 28 at the request of Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas, a Brooklyn Democrat who represents East New York. The state attorney general could sue stores that don't comply and seek restitution for shoppers.
In the bill's justification, Lucas wrote that retailers "rely on self-checkout systems to reduce staffing and operational costs," shifting work once done by employees onto customers who do it without pay. In a statement promoting the bill, she said: "For me, affordability isn't a slogan, it's a responsibility."
The bill was sent to the Assembly's consumer affairs committee and got no vote before lawmakers ended their regular session. To become law, it would have to be filed again and pass both chambers. A Forbes contributor pointed out that food retailers' average net profit margin is about 2.1%, according to the Food Industry Association, and that the bill's broad wording leaves it unclear whether stores like Walmart, Target and Costco would be covered.
Other states have gone after self-checkout in different ways. In Rhode Island, early drafts also proposed a 10% discount before lawmakers switched to limits on lanes and staffing rules; that law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027. California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington have weighed similar limits. Some retailers are already pulling back: Dollar General has removed or converted self-checkout in about 12,000 of its roughly 20,000 stores.
Sources: New York State Assembly, NYC News Network, Post-Journal, Forbes
