Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to retail establishments; requiring retailers in unincorporated King County, unless otherwise exempted, to accept payment in cash; and adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 12.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. King County strives to be an equitable and inclusive place and strives to empower all residents to participate in the economic life of the county. A key aspect of participation in economic life is the ability to purchase food and consumer goods.
B. The organization Bank On Washington, which is a collaboration of financial institutions, community-based organizations, and local governments, estimates that three percent of Washington state residents are unbanked, meaning they do not use or do not have access to traditional financial services, including bank accounts, credit cards, or personal checks; and that more than seventeen percent of Washington state residents are underbanked, meaning they might have a bank account but might often rely on alternative financial services, such as money orders, check-cashing services, and payday loans rather than on traditional loans and credit cards to fund purchases and manage their finances. If those figures are applied to King County, it means that approximately sixty-seven thousand people in King County could be unbanked and more than three hundred eighty thousand people could be underbanked. If those figures are applied to unincorporated King County, it means that approximately seven thousand four hundred people in unincorporated King County could be unbanked and forty-two thousand people could be underbanked.
C. A 2021 survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation of unbanked and underbanked households found that people of color and low-income people are more likely to be unbanked or underbanked than the population as a whole.
D. For residents who are unbanked or underbanked, the ability to purchase food and consumer goods often...

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