(WYMT) – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has joined a 15-state coalition calling on Congress to pass legislation aimed at strengthening federal penalties for ATM robberies.
The coalition is urging the passage of the Safe Access to Cash Act, which would modernize the Federal Bank Robbery Act of 1934 to allow federal prosecution of crimes involving off-premises ATMs.
Currently, federal law provides strong penalties for robbing banks or bank-owned ATMs, but those protections do not consistently apply to ATMs located in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, or other community locations.
Closing Federal Loopholes
Attorney General Russell Coleman stated that modernizing the law is necessary to keep pace with societal changes.
“Safe and reliable access to cash is essential for millions of Americans and our laws should reflect the modernization of our society,” Coleman said in a statement. “This legislation gives law enforcement more tools to crackdown on criminals who want to make a dishonest fortune.”
If passed, the legislation would treat off-premises ATMs the same as those located inside bank branches. It would cover ATM theft, destruction, and robberies of individuals using ATMs, while also establishing clearer guidelines for prosecuting cases involving organized networks or multi-jurisdictional crime.
Banking Industry Support
The initiative has drawn support from the Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA), which noted that ATMs remain frequent targets for physical theft and technological schemes like “jackpotting.”
“By enforcing the same penalties as bank robberies regardless of where the ATM is located through the Safe Access to Cash Act, we hope that individuals at ATMs and the ATMs themselves will be less attractive targets for crime,” said Tim Schenk, President and CEO of the KBA.
Legislative Outlook
The Safe Access to Cash Act was advanced unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee in March 2026.
Kentucky joined a Georgia-led effort that includes attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.