Bill protecting cash as payment option for school athletic events clears Alabama House

May 13—The ongoing retail shift away from cash payments and onto mobile phone-based apps might mean point-of-sale convenience for some customers. But a bill making its way through the Alabama legislature is aimed at ensuring cash will continue to remain a payment option — at least at K-12 sporting events staged by public schools statewide.

Sponsored by Alabama Rep. Steve Hurst (R-Munford) with co-sponsoring support from local legislators Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope) and Randall Shedd (R-Fairview), HB 364 would require all public schools in Alabama to honor cash as a medium of exchange to obtain admission to any athletic activity operated by public elementary, middle and high schools.

Harbison said the bill is needed to assure every Alabama citizen can continue to enjoy public sporting events regardless of how they prefer to pay. "It's fine for schools to accept app-based payments, and this bill is not trying to do away with that," said Harbison.

"But," he added, "many schools have made paying with an app as the only option, refusing cash as a way to pay for event tickets. That's the issue that this bill addresses. To be honest, I think it's crazy that we even have to pass legislation for something that's this obvious — but here we are."

The bill's language is succinct and specific, addressing only athletic events staged by K-12 public schools. "This bill would require a public K-12 school or a local board of education to accept cash and any other form of payment of its choosing for admission to school-sponsored sporting events that are open to the public," the measure reads.

"When a school won't take cash, it excludes people who simply don't use smart phones or smart phone apps to pay for things," said Harbison. "And there are a lot of families with people who aren't familiar with app-based payment methods — people like my 83 year-old grandmother, who shouldn't be asked to figure out an app just to pay to watch her youngest grandchild play volleyball. This bill would make it so that people like her would always be able to use cash."

Stalled during last year's legislative session, the bill was reintroduced this year and was voted through the state House of Representatives this week. The measure now must move through the committee process in the Alabama Senate, pass a Senate vote, and meet with Gov. Kay Ivey's approval to become Alabama law.