summary
Introduced
01/09/2025
01/09/2025
In Committee
03/21/2025
03/21/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Creates the Junk Fee Ban Act. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for a person to: (1) offer, display, or advertise an amount a consumer may pay for merchandise without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price; (2) fail, in any offer, display, or advertisement that contains an amount a consumer may pay, to display the total price more prominently than any other pricing information; (3) misrepresent the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; (4) fail to disclose clearly and conspicuously before the consumer consents to pay, the nature and purpose of any amount a consumer may pay that is excluded from the total price, including the ability to refund the fees and the identity of any merchandise for which fees are charged; or (5) offer, display, or advertise, including through direct offerings, third-party distribution, or metasearch referrals, a total price for a place of short-term lodging that does not include all required fees. Requires total price disclosures for retail mercantile establishments and food service establishments; and the disclosure of delivery fees. Provides for limitations of the Act. Provides that the Attorney General may enforce violations of the Act as an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Preempts home rule.
AI Summary
This bill creates the Junk Fee Ban Act, which aims to prevent businesses from hiding or misrepresenting fees in their pricing. The legislation prohibits businesses from offering prices without clearly showing the total cost, requiring that the total price be displayed more prominently than other pricing information. Specifically, businesses cannot misrepresent fees, fail to disclose the nature of additional charges before a purchase, or advertise lodging prices that don't include all required fees. Retail and food service establishments must provide notice of consumer fees prior to purchase, with flexibility in how they communicate these total prices (such as through point-of-sale displays, websites, or promotional materials). The bill defines key terms like "total price" (which includes mandatory charges but excludes things like shipping, taxes, and certain government fees) and covers various types of consumer transactions. Importantly, the law does not prevent businesses from charging fees, but requires transparent pricing, and wholesale clubs are exempt from these requirements. The Attorney General can enforce the act under existing consumer fraud regulations, with all standard remedies available for violations. The goal is to protect consumers from unexpected or hidden charges by ensuring upfront, clear pricing across various commercial settings.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee (on 03/21/2025)
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=62&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104 |
| BillText | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/104/HB/10400HB0062.htm |
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