Bill > SB1035

This bill aims to protect consumers from deceptive pricing practices in live-event ticket and short-term lodging sales by requiring businesses to clearly and prominently disclose the total price of their goods or services upfront. The legislation makes it an unfair or deceptive act for businesses to offer prices without transparently showing the full cost, including all mandatory fees, and prohibits misrepresenting any fees or charges in their advertisements. Specifically, businesses must disclose the nature, purpose, and amount of any additional fees before a consumer agrees to pay, and must present this information in a way that is easily noticeable and understandable to ordinary consumers across all communication mediums, including online, mobile applications, and in-person interactions. The bill defines key terms like "covered good or service" to include live-event tickets and short-term lodging (such as hotels, motels, and vacation rentals), and establishes detailed requirements for how pricing information must be presented, such as making the total price more prominent than other pricing information and ensuring disclosures are unavoidable, readable, and consistent. The legislation is modeled after guidance from the Federal Trade Commission and seeks to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions by preventing the practice of "drip pricing," where additional fees are gradually revealed during the transaction process.

Business and Industry, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1035&year=2026