HR6430-119

What This Bill Does

The Junk Fee Prevention Act targets hidden or excessive fees across general consumer transactions, communications services, live-event tickets, and airline ancillary charges. Covered entities must clearly and conspicuously display the total price of a good or service, including mandatory fees and mandatory government charges, in advertisements and when a price is first shown. Mandatory fees cannot change during purchase and cannot be excessive or deceptive. Ticket sellers must disclose total ticket inventory at least 72 hours before public sale or presale, disclose refund or guarantee policies before purchase, refund the total cost including mandatory fees, and tell consumers when they do not possess a ticket at sale while providing a full refund if the ticket is not timely provided. FTC may issue rules, and violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Communications providers cannot impose excessive or unreasonable early termination fees, must provide prorated credits or rebates after termination, may charge for unreturned rental equipment or outstanding purchased devices, and must state aggregate service prices in a single clear bill line and promotional materials, including post-promotion rates and timing. FCC may issue rules. Airlines and foreign air carriers operating in the United States must file quarterly reports with DOT on ancillary-fee revenue by critical service and class of service, collection method, and average charges; DOT must publish a comparative quarterly report.

Who Benefits and How

Consumers benefit from seeing total prices earlier, avoiding changed mandatory fees during checkout, receiving ticket refunds that include fees, getting notice when a reseller lacks the ticket, receiving prorated communications-service credits, and seeing clearer broadband or cable pricing. Live-event ticket buyers benefit from inventory and refund transparency. Broadband, cable, and other communications subscribers benefit from limits on unreasonable early termination fees and clearer post-promotion price disclosures. Airline passengers benefit from public data on baggage, seat selection, change, cancellation, and other ancillary-fee revenue.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Covered sellers must redesign advertising, checkout, refund, and fee practices. Ticketing platforms must disclose inventory, possession status, and refund policies. Communications providers must change billing, promotional materials, termination practices, and rebate processes. Airlines must file detailed quarterly ancillary-fee reports. FTC, FCC, and DOT must write rules, enforce compliance, and publish reports. Some businesses lose revenue from mandatory fees, early termination charges, or opaque ancillary charges.

Key Provisions

• Requires covered entities to display total prices including mandatory fees and mandatory government charges when prices first appear.
• Prohibits excessive or deceptive mandatory fees and treats violations as FTC unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
• Requires ticket sellers to disclose event ticket inventory, refund policies, ticket possession status, and full-fee refunds.
• Limits excessive or unreasonable communications-service termination fees and requires prorated credits or rebates.
• Requires single-line aggregate communications-service prices on bills and clear post-promotion disclosures in bills and marketing.
• Requires airlines to report quarterly ancillary-fee revenue and requires DOT to publish comparative reports.