Illinois to require hidden ‘junk fees’ included in advertised price

By Sean Reed | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – In most cases when a person makes a purchase, such as on hotels, concert tickets and more, it could soon be illegal for merchants to advertise a product’s price without including surcharges and fees in that price upfront.

In a move toward transparency for Illinois consumers, lawmakers passed the ‘Junk Fee Ban Act’ on Wednesday, sending it to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.

House Bill 228, sponsored by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood, received bipartisan support in the House last month, and was carried in the Senate by Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, where it again passed with support from both parties.

Despite extensive support in both chambers, some organizations whose members benefit from such fees remain opposed, according to the senator.

“Although there’s a few associations and businesses that ultimately were still in opposition, and I think the opposition was light. I do think that their input made this bill better. And we did make changes to this bill a significant number of times to try to balance out,” Aquino said on the floor.

One Republican representative who voted in favor of the act in April was Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, who works in insurance. He said in a statement that at the national level, the average consumer pays over $3,000 per year in hidden fees.

On the Senate floor, Aquino clarified that section 10B of the Consumer fraud act, which specifically exempts some sectors – such as insurance – from laws and regulations like HB 228, would still apply to those industries.

Morgan told The Center Square he’s glad to have bipartisan support, especially after working on the initiative for over three years.

“If prices are going to go up, let a consumer make the choice for themselves about where they’re going to go, what they’re gonna purchase,” Morgan said. “We are paying things that we’re unaware of, and this bill is going to prevent that.”

Pritzker urged the legislature to pass the bill during his State of the State address to the body in early February.

“I am proud that the Illinois General Assembly has passed the Junk Fee Ban Legislation to put money back in the pockets of families and establish fair, honest pricing,” Pritzker said in a statement Wednesday, signaling he won’t take issue signing the measure.