Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Urges Congress to Strengthen Federal Protections Against ATM Crime
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a 15-state coalition urging Congress to pass the Safe Access to Cash Act (S. 3798/H.R. 1631), legislation that would strengthen efforts to prosecute the organized criminal networks responsible for a growing number of ATM robberies across the country.
Currently, federal law imposes strong penalties for robberies involving banks and financial institutions but does not provide the same consistent protections for many off-site and standalone ATMs. The Safe Access to Cash Act would modernize the Federal Bank Robbery Act of 1934 by ensuring crimes involving ATMs located away from bank branches—including those at convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, shopping centers, and other community locations—can be prosecuted as federal offenses.
“A lot of people do their banking without ever going to a bank, and federal law needs to keep up and ensure that people who get their cash from ATMs are fully protected,” said Attorney General Skrmetti. “Criminals who rob people at ATMs should not get a break just because they are not at a bank branch. The Safe Access to Cash Act givers law enforcement a modernized tool to deter robberies and better protect our citizens and our communities.”
The Safe Access to Cash Act would complement the work of state and local law enforcement by establishing a clear and consistent federal framework for prosecuting ATM crimes involving interstate criminal activity, organized crime rings, or coordinated attacks spanning multiple jurisdictions.
The legislation would also close a significant gap in federal law by extending protections to individuals using ATMs and covering ATM theft, destruction, and related offenses.
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the Safe Access to Cash Act in March 2026, reflecting broad bipartisan recognition of the need to address increasingly sophisticated ATM crimes.
The coalition letter was led by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.