West Bills Banning Hidden Fees, Price Raising Schemes Now Law

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Major affordability measures cracking down on hidden junk fees and price gouging schemes are now law thanks to the support of state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford.

“Affordability is on everyone’s mind right now—no matter where you reside, what you do for work or what you believe in—it’s clearer than ever that families are struggling to make ends meet,” said West. “Rockford communities deserve assurance that there are people looking out for them with real solutions, and I’m proud to highlight this important set of bills that once and for all ban deceptive tactics that are raising prices that do nothing but make life more expensive for Illinois shoppers. That ends today.”

Often disguised as “convenience” or “processing” fees, hidden junk fees cost families over $3,000 every year, driving the affordability crisis and making everyday purchases more expensive.

West helped lead a measure cracking down on these hidden fees with House Bill 228, which is now law. The measure requires businesses to display all mandatory fees and charges they are adding on top of a purchase price and gives the attorney general’s office more authority to hold businesses accountable for not disclosing surprise fees.

West also strengthened protections for people buying tickets to concerts and sporting events. In response to high-profile reports of abusive practices perpetrated by ticket resellers and AI-powered ‘bot farms’ purchasing mass amounts of event tickets to be resold at two or three times the face value, he passed House Bill 4984, which bans resellers from offering the sale of tickets they do not actually possess. Additionally, Senate Bill 318 bans the use of bots to buy tickets in excess of posted limits of online ticket sales or to circumvent electronic queues and other waiting periods. These measures are now law.