Blumenthal & Bynum Introduce Bicameral Junk Fee Prevention Act to End Unfair Surprise Costs for Consumers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - With the holiday travel season in full swing, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum (D-OR) announced legislation to eliminate excessive fees in the ticketing, hotel, and entertainment industries and bring transparency to the marketplace.

The Junk Fee Prevention Act would eliminate hidden and unnecessary fees imposed on consumers and require full prices of services to be provided upfront. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH).

"Concealed surprise fees are nickel and diming Americans to distraction and must be stopped. Families booking flights for the holidays are experiencing surprise sticker shock firsthand when they click to confirm their tickets and are hit with hidden excessive charges," said Blumenthal. "Our bill will help end this price gouging and protect consumers from abusive fees. It will mandate basic common-sense fairness and transparency, which consumers rightly demand and deserve."

"Too many companies have built businesses around misleading fees that confuse consumers and drive up costs," said Bynum. "This bill brings real accountability by requiring upfront pricing, stronger refund protections, and clear rules that put people first. I'll always work in Congress to lower costs for Oregonians and make our economy more fair."

"Arizonans are tired of being hit with junk fees every time they book a flight, buy a concert ticket, or check into a hotel. They deserve to know the real price of services upfront," said Gallego. "This bill puts an end to that nonsense by requiring companies to disclose pricing upfront and holding them accountable when they try to deceive consumers. I was proud to lead this bill in the House, and I'm going to keep fighting to put an end to hidden junk fees on all services."

"Hardworking people across Ohio's 13th District should not have to shoulder deceptive fees that strain already tight budgets," said Sykes. "This bill protects our community by ending predatory junk fees and holding companies accountable for putting profits over consumers."

The Junk Fee Prevention Act would require the full price of a service to be displayed upfront, prevent excessive fees and ensure transparency, and empower the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to issue new rules and enforce against violations. It would also require airlines to share information about revenue received from ancillary fees with the U.S. Department of Transportation and for such information to be publicly available in a report on the Department's website.

The legislation specifically targets excessive online ticket fees, exorbitant early termination fees for communications services, surprise resort or destination fees, and airline ancillary fees. The legislation is endorsed by Consumer Reports and the National Consumers League (NCL).

"Americans are fed up with hidden junk fees that can really add up and cause financial hardship for families living on tight budgets," said Chuck Bell, advocacy program director for Consumer Reports. "The Junk Fee Prevention Act will help ensure that the total cost for tickets, hotels and short-term lodging are disclosed upfront to the customer, including all mandatory fees. The bill will also prevent telecom providers from imposing early termination fees for broadband, cable and mobile phone services, and improve the transparency and presentation of prices for bundled services."

"American companies are addicted to junk fees, and this is an addiction that harms consumers and honest businesses alike," said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. "The Junk Fee Prevention Act is a vital piece of legislation that will mandate basic common-sense fairness and transparency, ensuring consumers know the full, all-in price up front and putting an end to these deceptive, abusive practices."

Bill text for the Junk Fee Prevention Act is available here.

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1. Consumer Protection