But the proposed crackdown on automation could lead to rising costs for stores and limited services for shoppers.
The bill would restrict self-checkout stations to eight per store, require one staffed checkout lane for every two automated stations and mandate one employee for every two machines. Connecticut would be among the first jurisdictions in the country to implement such strict rules governing retail checkout operations, despite self-checkout technology being used by grocery stores for more than 25 years.
One of the few localities that has experimented with self-checkout regulations, Long Beach, California, offers a useful case study in how the regulations could impact shoppers and stores. In 2025, the city adopted local restrictions on self-checkout, including mandating one employee for every three stations. Advocates argued that the legislation would keep checkers and cashiers safer by preventing retail theft, claiming self-checkout lanes contributed to “hostile and unsafe” conditions for employees. Grocers warned that the new rules would increase labor costs, and shoppers would be hit with higher prices and longer lines.
When the Long Beach regulations kicked in, some retailers responded by cutting self-checkout options entirely. There’s a lesson to be learned here for Connecticut lawmakers: When operational costs rise, businesses are more likely to limit services than expand them.
Supporters of the Connecticut legislation argue that reducing reliance on self-checkout will benefit seniors and shoppers who manage complex transactions such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or WIC purchases. Ed Hawthorne, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, testified that self-checkout can be “confusing and frustrating” for “seniors, individuals with disabilities, families with large orders, or customers using WIC, SNAP, or coupons.”