Rep. Gallego Touts Junk Fees Prevention Act at Sky Harbor Press Conference
PHOENIX, AZ – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) visited Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to discuss his new bill, the Junk Fees Prevention Act. The bill seeks to eliminate burdensome fees imposed on consumers and increase transparency by requiring the full prices of services be provided upfront.
At the airport, Rep. Gallego specifically highlighted how the bill would eliminate charging airline passengers for seating assignments when an adult needs to sit next to an accompanying child and empowers the U.S. Department of Transportation to impose penalties for violations.“Simply put, we need to get rid of hidden fees because these extra charges are being added to more and more transactions every day—from surprise resort or destination charges to excessive fees for concert tickets and early termination of services—to fees for getting a seat on the plane,” said Rep. Gallego. “Full disclosure of all fees at the time of purchase will give consumers the information they need to make better, more informed purchases.”
Excessive and hidden fees cost American families hundreds of dollars each year. Ticket sellers charge an average of 27% of the value of the ticket in fees, and hotels have collected billions in so-called “resort” fees in recent years. If enacted, the Junk Fees Prevention Act would eliminate $9 billion in late fees, $7.6 billion in airline fees, and $2.9 billion in resort fees annually.
President Biden specifically called out these junk fees during his State of the Union address in February, urging Congressional action. Rep. Gallego is leading this effort in the House through the Junk Fee Prevention Act which empowers the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to step in and issue new rules and enforcement guidelines.
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