Colorado House advances ‘junk fees’ bill after extensive floor debate

After extensive floor debate and multiple committee-originated amendments, the Colorado House passed House Bill 10 90, a measure requiring clearer disclosure of mandatory fees and prohibiting certain deceptive pricing practices.

Sponsors said the bill aims to make “total-price disclosure” standard so consumers can compare offers without hidden fees such as "convenience" or mandatory ancillary charges. Lawmakers pointed to recent federal enforcement actions and litigation against large rental companies and ticketing platforms as rationale for state-level action.

Floor debate covered numerous topics: scope of safe-harbor language for services whose total price can’t reasonably be known at the time of sale, whether to preserve a private right of action for consumers, tenant-specific protections (including a cure opportunity before lawsuits in the landlord-tenant context), and potential impacts on small businesses. Sponsors said the bill preserves exceptions and added amendments responding to stakeholder feedback, including language modeled on other states for utility and higher-education pricing and a requirement that mandatory fees be included in total advertised price.

Members repeatedly debated government-imposed fees and whether state fees should be included in advertised prices; several members proposed amendments to require state fees to be disclosed on consumer receipts, but the House rejected those amendments. The sponsor urged that the bill target private-sector deceptive pricing rather than state-imposed charges. After adoption of several floor amendments described on the record, the Speaker announced that House Bill 10 90 passed on the floor.