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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 90
BY SENATOR MARTINY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To recognize the importance of electronic payments and their superiority in terms of cost,
safety, and convenience over cash and to encourage the use of electronic payments
by all of Louisiana's citizens and particularly in government financing in the state.
WHEREAS, in 2013 The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
published the results of a study regarding the cost of cash in the United States; and
WHEREAS, this study found that cash, although ubiquitous, is costly to produce and
manage and degrades through its lifetime; and
WHEREAS, according to the study, cash costs society billions of dollars in foregone
tax revenues annually and recovering even a fraction of what is lost in taxes to the cash
economy would supply much-needed revenue for governments; and
WHEREAS, cash costs retail businesses billions in cash theft, bank robbery, and
other cash losses annually; and
WHEREAS, this burden significantly affects smaller businesses that are less likely
to utilize high-level security for their cash; and
WHEREAS, cash is vulnerable to theft and inconvenient to transport, and may allow
an underground economy to flourish because of the anonymity of cash transactions, all of
which may create challenges for law-enforcement and tax authorities; and
WHEREAS, American households with bank accounts at formal financial institutions
use only a little cash at a low cost, but households without such accounts carry higher cash
balances and are more likely to pay fees to access their own money; and
WHEREAS, cash is losing share in consumer transactions to other payment methods
and since 2010 has been superseded by electronic payments, primarily triggered by
businesses seeking to reduce vulnerability to theft, and consumers seeking to reduce loss of
time spent obtaining cash.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
request all state agencies to seek out opportunities to replace cash-based government
payment systems with electronic systems that reduce costs for government, taxpayers, and SCR NO. 90 ENROLLED
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citizens.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana encourages
Louisiana citizens to choose electronic payment methods over cash.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Commissioner of Administration.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Bhaskar Chakravorti and Benjamin D. Mazzotta at The Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy, Tufts University.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES