Senate Judiciary advances pricing-transparency bill; removes private right of action, HB 1090 passes 4-3

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4 to 3 to advance House Bill 1090, a consumer-pricing transparency measure, after adopting and rejecting a series of amendments during a committee hearing. The action sends the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.

The bill aims to require clearer disclosure of total prices and to create limited safe harbors for businesses that meet specified conditions. Committee debate focused on enforcement (state attorney general authority versus private lawsuits), whether federal regulatory regimes should limit state enforcement, and carve-outs for one-time or industry-specific fees.

Committee discussion and amendments: committee members debated and adopted Amendment L18, offered by Senator Carson, which removes a private right of action and leaves enforcement to state remedies (including fines and authority for the attorney general). Senator Weisman opposed removing the private cause of action, saying, “we do not consider this a friendly amendment, and I'm asking for a no vote,” and argued that private enforcement protects residents in less-populated areas who might not draw the attorney general’s attention. The…