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119-s-3367119th CongressWALLET

Junk Fee Prevention Act

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a federal framework to boost transparency and cap deceptive "junk" fees, with a focus on clear total prices and limits on mandatory charges. It would pair new disclosure rules with agency rulemaking and enforcement to target fees across consumer services, communications, and air travel.

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  • Consumers and ticket buyers would see total prices up front and stronger limits on excessive or deceptive mandatory fees. The bill would add ticketing rules that ban ticket holdbacks and speculative sales and require refunds that match the full ticket cost.
  • Phone, broadband, and pay-TV customers would get clearer billing and protections. The bill would end certain early termination fees, require prorated credits on cancellations, force truth-in-billing for promotions, and direct the Federal Communications Commission to start rulemaking within 180 days.
  • Air travelers and regulators would get more data on ancillary fees. Air carriers would file quarterly reports to the Department of Transportation on ancillary revenue, broken down by service and class of travel, and DOT would publish consolidated comparisons.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New fee rules for communications services

If enacted, providers of internet, voice, mobile, and pay-TV distribution would have to follow the mandatory-fee and total-price rules. Covered services would include broadband, voice, commercial mobile, commercial mobile data, MVPD services, and bundled offerings. The Federal Communications Commission would enforce violations as Communications Act violations and would start a mandatory-fee rulemaking within 180 days of enactment. State attorneys general could bring federal suits on behalf of residents, but must notify the Commission and may join existing Commission cases.

Upfront full price and ticket protections

If enacted, sellers would have to show the total price — advertised price plus all mandatory fees and government charges — when a price is first shown and in advertisements. Mandatory fees shown at sale could not change from the advertised amount. Sellers would have to disclose refund and guarantee policies before purchase and refund the total ticket cost, including mandatory fees, when required. If a seller does not have a ticket at sale, it would have to notify buyers and give a full refund if it cannot deliver. Live-event sellers would have to disclose how many tickets will be offered at least 72 hours before the first public sale. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules and could write implementing regulations.

Quarterly reporting of airline fees

If enacted, any air carrier operating in the United States would have to file quarterly reports with DOT on total ancillary fee revenue. Reports would give exact dollar totals, break down revenue by each critical ancillary service and by class of service, say whether fees were included in the base fare or charged separately, and show the average amount charged per service. The Department of Transportation would compile those filings into one consolidated quarterly report and publish it on DOT's website. The reporting would apply each fiscal quarter starting upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 12/4/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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