Bill > SB00438

This bill, effective October 1, 2026, aims to regulate self-checkout stations in grocery stores, which are defined as stores where most sales are from groceries, including food, beverages, drugs, personal care items, and household supplies, but excluding alcohol and cannabis. Grocery stores offering self-checkout stations must ensure that for every two self-checkout stations in operation, there is at least one manual checkout station staffed by an employee who assists customers with scanning, bagging, and payment. Additionally, for every two self-checkout stations, at least one employee must be dedicated solely to monitoring those stations and cannot perform other duties. The bill also caps the total number of self-checkout stations at any single location to a maximum of eight. Customers or employees who believe a store is violating these rules can file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner, who will investigate and, if a violation is found, notify the store. If the store doesn't correct the issue within thirty days, it could face daily civil penalties. Furthermore, grocery stores are prohibited from retaliating against any employee or customer who in good faith reports a violation.