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House passes HB90 to curb ‘reservation piracy’; adds penalties and restitution
Summary
The Louisiana House on April 23, 2025 approved HB90, which prohibits third‑party platforms from listing or selling restaurant reservations unless they have a written agreement with the restaurant. The House adopted an amendment adding enforcement through the attorney general, a civil penalty and a restitution provision.
Baton Rouge — The Louisiana House of Representatives approved HB90 on April 23, 2025, a measure aimed at stopping third‑party platforms that use automated tools to capture and resell restaurant reservation slots without a restaurant’s consent.
Representative Hebert, sponsor of HB90, told the House the bill is designed to protect consumers and restaurants from a growing practice he described as “reservation piracy.” Hebert said these platforms often deploy AI‑powered bots to immediately grab available reservation slots and then resell them to consumers, who may believe the fee is charged by the restaurant.
On the floor the House adopted a one‑page amendment offered in committee by Representative Abare. The amendment added enforcement language authorizing the attorney general to pursue civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day per violation and to seek restitution for consumers. The restitution provision limits recovery to the amount the consumer actually paid to the third‑party platform. Penalty revenue is dedicated to a consumer protection and education fund as described on the floor.
Representative Hebert said the bill does not prohibit the business model; instead, it requires third‑party services to have written authorization from a food service establishment before listing or selling that establishment’s reservations.
The House recorded final passage with a roll call of 89 yeas and 0 nays. The bill will move to enrollment and then to the governor’s desk for signature.
