Walmart among stores forced to follow controversial new ‘three-for-one’ rule at self-checkout

On June 18, 2026, Senate Bill (SB) 2342 was signed into law by Governor Dan McKee after being passed by the Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Senate.

Under SB 2342, effective January 1, 2027, all grocery stores in Rhode Island must have one traditional checkout lane with a cashier for every three self-checkout kiosks, effectively a “three-for-one” requirement.

Additionally, the stores cannot have “more than eight self-service checkout stations operating at any one time per location,” according to the bill.

This means retailers like Walmart will have to be more strategic about which kiosks they have available during operating hours.

SB 2342 also prevents grocery stores from splitting up a staffer’s focus on traditional checkout areas and self-checkout at the same time.

“Further, an employee shall be relieved of all other duties when monitoring any self-service checkout station, including, but not limited to, operating a manual checkout station,” the law notes.

McKee emphasized in a statement earlier this year that SB 2342 protects jobs, according to CBS affiliate WPRI.