RICHMOND, Va. — In a 15-6 vote, members of the House Labor and Commerce Committee today voted to advance an amended and more narrow version of Sen. Stella Pekarsky’s (D-Fairfax) Senate Bill 388 to stop surprise junk fees in Virginia.
Right now, Virginia consumers are often charged up to 20% more for a transaction at check-out than was initially advertised, costing the average family of four an extra $3,200 per year. Senator Pekarsky’s bill as it passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support 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 the original proposal “the most sweeping consumer protection measure to emerge in this year’s General Assembly session.”
The amended legislation will ban surprise junk fees on concert and event tickets.
According to recent polling, 77% of Americans support efforts to stop the practice of surprise junk fees.
“Both the House and Senate agree that Virginians need transparency in pricing at concerts and events,” said Freedom Virginia Executive Director Rhena Hicks. “We are glad to see this bill advance. As the bill moves forward, we encourage legislators to adopt a comprehensive approach that bans junk fees across the entire economy, including on rental cars, credit cards, phone upgrades, meal delivery, and more.”
The amended legislation will now be considered by the full House of Delegates. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee yesterday amended the more narrow House bill to conform with Senator Pekarsky’s original bill, so both versions are currently before the General Assembly.
