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Sen. Kawasaki’s bill seeks to ban hidden 'junk fees' and require upfront pricing; enforcement details to be provided
Summary
Senate Bill 241 would make it unlawful for businesses to advertise or display prices that omit mandatory fees (apart from taxes), with an effective date of July 1, 2026; the committee asked staff for clarification of penalties and how the bill treats disclosed surcharges such as credit-card fees.
Sen. Scott Kawasaki (Fairbanks) told the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 6 that Senate Bill 241 would add a section to AS 45.50.471(b) to make it unlawful for businesses to advertise, display or offer a price for goods or services that omits mandatory fees apart from government taxes. Kawasaki framed the bill as part of a nationwide effort to limit so-called "junk fees" that are added at the end of transactions.
The sponsor said various states have pursued similar measures and cited consumer cost estimates used by…
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