1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Rep. Berg's penny rounding law needs an amendment to explicitly protect WIC and SNAP recipients from being shortchanged. The current legislation allows retailers to round cash transactions to the nearest 5 cents but says nothing about how this applies to federal nutrition assistance programs. WIC and SNAP participants already face enough barriers accessing food. They shouldn't have to worry whether rounding up on a $23.48 purchase means they lose 2 cents of their limited benefits, or whether rounding down means the retailer absorbs the cost and potentially stops accepting these programs. The law must specify that all rounding for WIC and SNAP transactions favors the recipient, not the retailer. The Department of Revenue is already issuing guidance and updating information for the 400,000 affected taxpayers. Adding clear rules for federal assistance programs now prevents confusion and protects our most vulnerable residents. Other states adopting rounding laws will look to Washington's approach. We should set the standard for fairness. Pass a technical amendment before the mid-June effective date that requires any rounding on WIC or SNAP purchases to benefit the program participant.