Bill > SF2556

This bill establishes the Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness Act, which aims to prevent unfair pricing practices in the grocery and consumer goods market. The bill defines specific terms such as "covered good" (which includes most grocery items but excludes gasoline, prescription drugs, tobacco, and alcohol) and "covered supplier" (a producer selling goods worth over $6 billion annually). The legislation makes it unlawful for covered suppliers to offer different terms of sale to different retailers and requires suppliers to provide anonymized contract details upon request. The bill also restricts dominant retailers (those with over $18 billion in annual sales and stores in more than 20 states) from coercing suppliers or manipulating purchasing terms in ways that could harm other retailers. Businesses can defend against allegations by proving their pricing differences are due to legitimate factors like distribution efficiencies or voluntary negotiations. The attorney general or injured parties can seek injunctions and civil penalties, including damages up to 1.5 times the actual harm suffered. Importantly, the bill does not require businesses to work together and does not override existing antitrust laws, but instead provides additional protections for smaller retailers in the grocery supply chain.

Business and Industry

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF2556&ssn=0&y=2025