Supporters press committee for law requiring advertised prices to match final cost; opponents did not appear to speak

Representative Potter introduced House Bill 5247 to prohibit companies from advertising a price that is not the actual price charged to consumers, with carve-outs for government-imposed taxes or fees and for legitimate shipping and handling.

Sponsor Potter called the measure a basic consumer-protection step to prevent bait-and-switch pricing and said it mirrors bills passed in California and Minnesota. He said: "I cannot think of many good faith reasons why a company would need to advertise a price that they know they cannot fulfill." The Economic Progress Institute's Alan Krinsky testified in favor and defined "junk fees" as "hidden charges attached to purchases that customers can't opt out of and that add no value to transactions." Pearl Holloway, a Warwick resident, described examples including ticketing and short-term lodging where final costs rose 40–60% from the advertised price.

Representative Newberry asked whether other states have similar laws; Krinsky said California and Minnesota have passed nearly identical legislation. Several business coalitions and chambers of commerce were listed on the sign-up sheet but did not take the microphone in the provided excerpt. The committee closed the hearing on HB5247 without recording a vote in the excerpt.