Lawmakers consider temporary moratorium on retailers' dynamic pricing, electronic shelf labels

Rep. Will Greer introduced H.371, a bill that would impose a temporary moratorium on the use of electronic shelf labels and retailer “dynamic pricing” for consumer commodities in Vermont until Jan. 16, 2027, while the Agency of Agriculture studies the technology and issues recommendations.

Greer told the committee the bill “in its current form is not a ban. It's just simply a moratorium so that we can study this more,” and cited consumer polling and federal inquiries as reasons to pause local implementation of the technology.

The bill, as described by committee counsel Michael Grady, would amend the state’s unit-pricing chapter in Title 6 to define “dynamic pricing” and “electronic shelf labels,” allow electronic shelf labels to display retail and unit prices, but prohibit retailers from changing a displayed retail price or unit price while the store is open to the public. "A retailer shall not alter the retail price or unit price of the commodity…