SPRINGFIELD – When you see a fun event and go to buy tickets, there always is the feeling of holding your breath betting the final price won’t be the one advertised.
Because of a bipartisan bill making its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk however, that won’t always be the case.
On Wednesday May 20, the Illinois Senate voted 46-12 to push forward the House Bill 228, otherwise known as the Junk Fee Ban Act, to ban all hidden mandatory fees and surcharges for services.
At its core, the bill is aimed to protect consumers from misleading advertising for lower costs on booking hotels to live event tickets by amending the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make it unlawful to advertise a lower price without including the whole cost.
According to Govfacts.org, junk fees can inflate the total cost of a ticket or service by up to 20% or more, and in 2024 cost Americans more than $650 per household annually.
The Economic Security IL Action, a nonprofit and proponent of the bill, also points toward the economic impact junk fees have on small businesses. The group says junk fees privilege large corporations that use junk fees to appear less expensive by comparison.
“In this affordability crisis, working families deserve honesty and transparency when they make purchases with their hard earned money,” senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) said. “Hidden junk fees make it harder for Illinoisans to afford what they need and disproportionately impact our communities of colors.”
Amended three times in the house to set an alternative means of compliance for various service providers and financial institutions, the bill originally passed through the Illinois House of Representatives 77-18 on April 9. A similar bill, Senate Bill1486, still sits in the House, with last movement on May 12.
The legislation now heads to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk. Pritzker commended the passing of the legislation on May 20.
“I am proud that the Illinois General Assembly has passed the Junk Fee Ban Act to put money back in the pockets of families and establish fair, honest pricing,” Pritzker said in a statement. “I’m grateful for Rep. Bob Morgan, Sen. Omar Aquino, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul for their leadership in crafting and passing this bill to ensure Illinois keeps standing up for affordability, accountability, and transparency. I look forward to signing this into law and banning hidden junk fees.”
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@usatodayco.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Bill banning junk fees heads to Pritzker’s desk
Reporting by Claire Grant, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
