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H7290ALabor Relations

Labor and Labor Relations - Restrictions on Self-Service Checkout Stations Act

This bill requires grocery stores to keep at least one human-operated checkout lane open for every three self-checkout lanes.

Introduced32 Yea6 Nay0 Not voting
Population
Affected
72
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 23, 2026Committee House Labor

Plain-English Summary

This bill requires grocery stores that use self-checkout stations to have at least one human-operated checkout lane open for every three self-checkout lanes in use. At least one of the human-operated lanes must be accessible to people with disabilities. Employees monitoring self-checkout areas cannot be assigned other tasks at the same time. The rules do not apply between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., or during weather emergencies. The Department of Labor and Training will enforce these rules, and stores that violate them can face fines of up to $500 per day.

For younger readers

This bill makes rules for grocery stores that have self-checkout machines, where you scan your own food. It says that for every three self-checkout machines a store is using, they must also have at least one regular checkout lane open with a real person working there to help you. One of those regular lanes must be easy to use for people in wheelchairs. The person watching the self-checkout area isn't allowed to do other jobs at the same time. Stores don't have to follow this rule at night, early in the morning, or during bad storms.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Grocery store ownersRetail clerksGrocery store shoppersIndividuals with disabilitiesDepartment of Labor and Training
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill regulates commercial business operations and employee staffing ratios, which falls well within the state's police powers to regulate commerce and labor. It does not appear to infringe on free speech, due process, or protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects jobs for retail workers by mandating human-operated checkout lanes, preventing full automation from eliminating entry-level and cashier positions.
  • Ensures accessibility for individuals with disabilities and the elderly by mandating that at least one manual checkout station in operation is ADA-compliant.
  • Includes strong anti-retaliation protections for both employees and consumers who report violations, empowering workers and the community to hold corporations accountable.
  • The exemption for off-peak hours (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) leaves late-night or early-morning shoppers, who are often shift workers or marginalized individuals, without guaranteed human assistance.
  • Fines are capped at a maximum of $500 per day, which is likely too low to meaningfully deter large, wealthy corporate grocery chains from violating the law.
  • The bill only applies to dedicated grocery stores, leaving workers and consumers at other large retail chains (like big-box stores or pharmacies) without these labor and accessibility protections.
For Conservatives
  • Provides clear exemptions for businesses during off-peak hours and emergencies, offering regulatory relief when staffing is most difficult to maintain.
  • Creates a tiered penalty system that starts with a written warning for the first violation rather than immediately imposing financial burdens on businesses.
  • Supports traditional consumer experiences by ensuring shoppers who prefer human-operated checkout interactions over automated systems are accommodated.
  • Imposes strict government mandates on how private businesses manage their staffing and operations, severely limiting corporate freedom and operational efficiency.
  • Creates new regulatory burdens and potential legal liabilities for grocery store owners, including the risk of employee or consumer lawsuits for alleged retaliation.
  • Interferes with the free market by artificially hindering the adoption and optimization of cost-saving automated checkout technology.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 68 additions

SECTION 1. Title 28 of the General Laws entitled "LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 28-61-1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Restrictions on Self-Service Checkout Stations Act”. 28-61-2. Applicability. This act shall apply to all grocery stores in this state that offer shoppers the use of self- service checkout stations. 28-61-3. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms and phrases are defined as follows:

(1) “Department” means the department of labor and training.

(2) “Groceries” means

(i) Any raw or processed food or beverage intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages and marijuana products; and

(ii) Miscellaneous household maintenance items including, but not limited to, laundry detergent and dishwashing soap, when sold by a retailer that also sells food and beverages.

(3) “Grocery store” means a business that earns the majority of its gross income from the retail sale of groceries.

(4) “Manual checkout station” means a checkout station at which a human operator assists shoppers by scanning, bagging, and accepting payment for purchases.

(5) “Retail clerk” means an employee whose primary responsibility is assisting shoppers with scanning, bagging, and receiving payment for purchases.

(6) “Retail sale” means the sale of groceries to a shopper for personal use or consumption; provided, such use is not for the purpose of resale.

(7) “Self-service checkout” means an automated process that enables shoppers to scan, bag, and pay for their purchases without human assistance. 28-61-4. Restrictions on self-service checkout stations.

(a) Grocery stores with self-service checkout stations shall have a minimum of one manual checkout station in operation for every three (3) self-service checkout stations in operation; provided further, there shall be a minimum of one manual checkout station in operation that is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

(b) An employee shall be relieved of all other duties when monitoring any self-service checkout station including, but not limited to, operating a manual checkout station.

(c) A grocery store shall be exempt from the required staffing ratio during off-peak hours. "Off-peak hours" means the period before 8:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m., local time, on any calendar day.

(d) A grocery store shall be exempt from the required staffing ratio during a declared state of emergency affecting the geographic area in which the establishment is located or when a severe weather alert is in effect for the geographic area in which the establishment is located, provided that:

(1) Active warning. The exemption applies only during the period the severe weather alert is in effect, as issued or extended by the National Weather Service or applicable state or local emergency management authority; and

(2) Employee safety. The establishment shall not require any employee to report to work or remain at work in conditions the employee reasonably believes pose an imminent threat to their personal safety due to the severe weather event. 28-61-5. Rulemaking authority. The department shall have the primary authority to promulgate rules, regulations, and penalties to enforce the provisions of this chapter. 28-61-6. Violations.

(a) A first violation of the provisions of this chapter shall result in a written warning and no other penalty shall be imposed for such first violation.

(b) Fines for multiple violations made by the same grocery store at the same location shall be equal to wages for one four (4) hour shift based on the highest wage for hourly retail clerks for each day on which there is a violation; provided that, fines shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per day.

(c) Any employee may file a complaint with the department alleging a violation of this chapter, free from fear of retaliation. Any employee of a grocery store who alleges retaliation by their employer for submitting a complaint alleging violation(s) of this chapter may bring a cause of action in superior court.

(d) If a grocery store does not comply with the provisions of this chapter after thirty (30) days of receiving notice of a violation of this chapter, such non-compliance shall be considered an unlawful act punishable in accordance with §§ 6-13.1-2 and 6-13.1-5.

(e) A consumer who alleges a violation of this chapter may file a complaint with the department. Retaliation against a consumer who files a complaint alleging violation of this chapter shall constitute an unlawful act punishable in accordance with §§ 6-13.1-2 and 6-13.1-5. 28-61-7. Severability. If any part, section, or provision of this chapter is found unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid, such a finding will affect only that part, section or provision of this chapter and the remaining parts, sections, or provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.