Montgomery County Del. Greg Wims told The Baltimore Sun that his push to ban cashless-only businesses began with a chance encounter at a Costco gas station, where a veteran told him he couldn’t use cash at local stores.
Later that same day, another constituent echoed that sentiment at his home church. Wims added that the constituent has relied solely on cash for three years as rising interest rates made credit cards too expensive, but they were repeatedly turned away by stores going cashless to cut costs and deter theft.
Wims’ research revealed a stark reality: about 79,000 households in Maryland, mostly low-income, did not have access to a bank account in 2023, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. An additional 284,000 had a bank account but sometimes relied on expensive financial institutions like check cashing services and payday lenders, according to the data. In an economy where businesses are increasingly opting out of accepting cash payments, access to basic needs is becoming progressively difficult, Wims said.
As a result, Wims introduced legislation, known as the “Cash Bill,” to prohibit businesses from refusing to accept cash payments and ease access to essentials for thousands of Marylanders at grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. The “Cash Bill” passed the General Assembly on Monday and is now headed to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk to be signed into law. Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk introduced the measure in 2021, but it didn’t make it past committee hearings.
