Committee adopts broadband exemption and 'good‑faith' carve‑out for 'Click‑to‑Cancel' consumer bill
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Summary
After hours of testimony from consumer advocates and industry, the General Laws Committee amended SB493 to exempt FCC‑regulated wireless and broadband providers and to restore a limited good‑faith compliance defense. The measure requires sellers to provide a conspicuous cancellation mechanism; sponsors will work on remaining technical fixes in Finance.
The Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology amended and reported SB493 — the Virginia Click to Cancel bill — after extended testimony from consumers, trade groups and telecom representatives.
Sponsor Senator Pokarski said the bill’s purpose is simple: “If a company lets you sign up for a service in one click, you should be able to cancel it just as easy,” a point repeated by Rena Hicks of Freedom Virginia during in‑room testimony.
Supporters from the Virginia Poverty Law Center and consumer‑advocacy groups urged the committee to approve a statutory right to an easy cancellation path, arguing the requirement would protect low‑income Virginians from so‑called subscription traps. Opponents — including the Broadband Association of Virginia, TechNet and industry counsel — raised concerns about ambiguous definitions, litigation risk, and unintended burdens on service contracts and newspapers.
After debate the committee adopted two notable changes: an exemption for wireless and broadband providers regulated by the Federal Communications Commission; and reinstatement of a limited ‘good‑faith’ exception for suppliers that make a demonstrable effort to comply. Senator Pokarski said he would continue to work with industry and stakeholders on remaining language before Finance.
The amended SB493 was reported from committee. Sponsors said the measure aims to protect consumers while leaving room for further refinement on implementation and enforcement.