Committee advances bill to ban surveillance-based price discrimination for retail goods
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Summary
The Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee voted to report House Bill 2,481 out of committee with a due-pass recommendation after debate over scope and enforcement. Supporters said the measure protects affordability; opponents, including a grocery owner, urged further work on implementation. (Vote: 8–4, 1 excused)
The Technology, Economic Development and Veterans Committee voted to report House Bill 2,481 out of committee with a due-pass recommendation after debating whether the measure would curb discriminatory pricing while avoiding unintended burdens on retailers.
Representative Globa, a bill supporter, said the measure addresses affordability and fairness in grocery pricing, arguing "prices can get changed not based on, like, time of day... but actually based on the personal information and the data profiles that are gathered about individual customers." She said uniform pricing for essential retail goods would protect consumers.
Representative Waters, who said her family owns a grocery store, said she would encourage a no vote and urged additional work: "The intent and the intention of this bill is good... it's just always, how do we get there?" Waters raised concerns about implementation for small retailers and welcomed a work group to refine definitions and enforcement.
Staff described the proposed substitute (H-3209.1) as expanding the definition of goods to include grocery sales (online, hybrid and retail locations larger than 15,000 square feet), requiring posted prices for retail sales beyond physical stores, removing a Consumer Protection Act violation in favor of civil enforcement in superior court, and removing a Department of Commerce study requirement. Representative Waters sponsored six amendments in the EBB to clarify definitions and enforcement scope.
After discussion the committee held a roll call. The staff announced 8 ayes, 4 nays and 1 excused; by that vote House Bill 2,481 was reported out of committee with a due-pass recommendation. The chair and other members said the committee expects further work on definitions and enforcement at later stops in the legislative process.
Next steps: the bill is scheduled to proceed in the legislative process where additional committees and floor action will consider the measure and any technical amendments.
