The Senate yesterday passed by voice vote a bill to ensure that robberies of off-site ATMs carry the same legal consequences as bank robberies.
The Safe Access to Cash Act (S. 3798) by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would codify ATM crimes under the Bank Robbery Act, which currently does not cover ATMs in public locations.
The bill has received support from at least 15 state attorneys general, who noted in an August letter that criminals are increasingly targeting standalone and off-site ATMs. The American Bankers Association also supports the legislation.
“By encouraging the prosecution of these crimes and enforcing the same penalties as bank robberies, we hope that individuals at ATMs and the ATMs themselves will be less attractive targets for crime,” ABA said in a letter to the bill’s sponsors.
A version of the bill was introduced in the House by Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.).
