Bars and nightclubs have been the target of armed robberies and burglaries in the District. This week, several D.C. Council members are hoping that removing cash from the equation will deter criminals.

A new bill, the Entertainment Establishment Employee Safety Amendment Act of 2024, would allow select D.C. businesses that serve alcohol, such as restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs and entertainment venues to go cashless.

“Retailers in the District have unfortunately been targets of robberies and theft, and we have seen many permanently close due to the irrecoverable losses,” said Council member Christina Henderson in a statement.

This would be an exemption from a previous bill passed four years ago that would make it illegal for any business to stop taking cash, saying it’s a form of discrimination. That law is set to go into effect next year.

“The Cashless Retailers Prohibition Act of 2019 was passed to provide unbanked customers with the option to always use cash. However, this bill no longer fully addresses the dynamic of the retail landscape in DC, including the proliferation of cash payment services such as Venmo, PayPal and CashApp,” Henderson wrote in a statement.

The bill is co-sponsored by Council members Brooke Pinto and Matthew Frumin.