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RICHMOND, Va. — Today the Virginia Senate rejected amendments to SB 388, a bill to require disclosure of all surprise mandatory “junk” fees. The House amendments would have narrowed the scope of the legislation to just event ticket fees.
Senator Stella Pekarsky’s (D-Fairfax) comprehensive surprise junk fee ban previously passed the Senate with a 28-11 strong bipartisan vote. Perkarsky’s bill would ban surprise hidden fees on all transactions, including concert tickets, rental cars, hotel reservations, credit card fees, resort stays, meal delivery services, and phone upgrades. The Richmond Times-Dispatch called this proposal, which mirrors a bill patroned by Delegate Adele McClure (D-Arlington), “the most sweeping consumer protection measure to emerge in this year’s General Assembly session.”
Additionally, the Senate today passed an amended HB 277 on a vote of 38-2, reinforcing the Senate’s continued support for junk fee disclosure across the entire economy. Both bills now head to conference committees.
“Freedom Virginia is glad to see the Senate reject the House’s amendments, which would have narrowed the scope of this incredibly important legislation,” said Rhena Hicks, Executive Director of Freedom Virginia. “The average family loses thousands of dollars a year to surprise junk fees across the retail market from cell phone bills to food deliveries. As this bill moves into a conference committee, we need a comprehensive bill to eliminate hidden junk fees for all Virginians, not a narrow bill for only one industry. It’s time to put an end to this unfair practice and finally let Virginians keep more of what they earn.”
Right now, Virginia consumers are often charged up to 20% more for a transaction at check-out than was initially advertised. Senate Bill 388 would ban surprise hidden fees on transactions across the economy as opposed to other bills under consideration by the legislature. SB 388 is also the only bill that contains a private right of action for consumers, empowering them to fight price gouging.
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