Fifteen state attorneys general this week urged Congress to pass legislation ensuring that robberies of off-site ATMs carry the same legal consequences as bank robberies. The American Bankers Association also supports the bill.
The Safe Access to Cash Act (S. 3798/H.R. 1631) would codify ATM crimes under the Bank Robbery Act, which currently does not cover ATMs in public locations. The bill has bipartisan support in Congress, introduced in the Senate by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and in the House by Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.).
In a joint letter, the 15 attorneys general said that for many individuals, “safe access to ATMs is not just a convenience, it is a necessity.”
“We recognize that criminals are increasingly targeting ATMs, particularly standalone and off-premises machines located in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, malls and other public locations,” they said. “These crimes can involve the theft, destruction or attempted removal of entire ATM units; assaults on customers or service personnel; and coordinated criminal activity that crosses city, county and state lines. This is precisely the type of problem that warrants a clear federal law enforcement backstop.”
The letter was signed by the attorneys general of Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia.
