Andrade Highlights Subscription Legislation in Illinois Amid U.S. Congress’s Introduction of Similar Bill

CHICAGO- Before the federal government took action, State Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr., D-Chicago, passed an Illinois law making it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one—years ahead of the proposal of the federal Unsubscribe Act introduced in the United States Congress this January to create a nationwide “Click to Cancel” rule. 

“Applying for subscriptions is usually an easy process, but cancelling them is a different story. Consumers end up hassling with calls, emails and even going in person. It wastes time, money and effort,” said Andrade. “It’s about time that the federal government is learning from our example.”

In Illinois, State Rep. Andrade passed House Bill 3955 (102nd GA) in 2021, which provides consumers the ability to cancel online subscriptions if they have accepted and started that subscription online. It also requires businesses to have some form of contact information on their website if they offer any form of subscription. 

Similarly, Congress’s HR 7048, known as the Unsubscribe Act of 2025, allows consumers to cancel subscriptions online and be notified for approval about charges or any changes to free and reduced-cost periods. The main difference between the two is Congress’s legislation expands to all forms of subscriptions, not just those acquired online. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2024 there were an average of 70 consumer complaints daily of people not being able to cancel their subscriptions or not having a way to contact businesses to cancel. On average, adults spend over $1,000 on subscriptions while $205 of that is on subscriptions consumers no longer use.  

“This legislation was a common-sense solution to a pervasive problem, because that’s what good government should do for people,” Andrade said. “Illinois will always be on the forefront of protecting consumers from businesses trying to take advantage of them. I hope to expand this law and add additional protections for consumers, so that they can continue to save money and not deal with difficult businesses looking to take advantage of them.” 

For more information, visit Ilga.gov or for Congress’s legislation visit  https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7048