Relating to pricing disclosure of lodging, ticketing, and food platforms, and providing civil penalties

The bill provides that mandatory fees cannot be increased during the purchase process. The bill prohibits a covered entity from imposing any mandatory fees that are excessive or deceptive for any good or service offered. The bill provides for ticket sales by covered entities to sporting events, the theater, musical performances, and other events, the covered entity shall within hours of the first public sale or presale of tickets to the event disclose to the public, including at the point of sale, the total number of tickets offered for sale. The bill requires a covered entity to clearly and conspicuously disclose any guarantee or refund policy prior to the completion of a transaction and in the event of a refund, shall provide a refund amount of the total cost of the ticket, including any mandatory fees. The bill also provides for disclosures for covered entities engaged in speculative ticketing. The bill defines a “covered service” to mean (1) an internet service, (2) a voice service, (3) a commercial mobile service, (4) a service provided by a multichannel video programming distributor, and (5) any other service offered or provided as part of a bundle or package with any of the services described above. The bill provides that a provider of a covered service shall not charge an consumer an early termination fee. However, a provider of a covered service may charge a consumer for the cost of rental or loan equipment that is not returned to the provider within a reasonable period of time or the outstanding cost of a purchased device. The bill allows the attorney general to adopt rules to implement the bill. The attorney general may impose a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation against a person who violates the provisions of the bill. Any collected civil penalties are to be deposited in the general fund of the state. In addition to a civil penalty, the attorney general may order a person to cease and desist from violating the provisions of the bill. The bill does not apply to any owner, agent, or employee of any radio or television station, or to any owner, publisher, printer, agent, or employee of an internet service provider, newspaper, or other publication, periodical, or circular, who, in good faith and without knowledge of the falsity or deceptive character thereof, publishes, causes to be published, or takes part in the publication of such advertisement.