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In a move toward transparency for Illinois consumers, lawmakers
passed the ‘Junk Fee Ban Act’ on Wednesday, sending it to Gov.
J.B. Pritzker’s desk.
House Bill 228, sponsored by state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Highwood,
received bipartisan support in the House last month, and was
carried in the Senate by Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, where it
again passed with support from both parties.
Despite extensive support in both chambers, some organizations
whose members benefit from such fees remain opposed, according
to the senator.
“Although there’s a few associations and businesses that
ultimately were still in opposition, and I think the opposition
was light. I do think that their input made this bill better.
And we did make changes to this bill a significant number of
times to try to balance out,” Aquino said on the floor.
One Republican representative who voted in favor of the act in
April was Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, who works in insurance.
He said in a statement that at the national level, the average
consumer pays over $3,000 per year in hidden fees.
On the Senate floor, Aquino clarified that section 10B of the
Consumer fraud act, which specifically exempts some sectors –
such as insurance – from laws and regulations like HB 228, would
still apply to those industries.
Morgan told The Center Square he’s glad to have bipartisan
support, especially after working on the initiative for over
three years.
“If prices are going to go up, let a consumer make the choice
for themselves about where they’re going to go, what they’re
gonna purchase,” Morgan said. “We are paying things that we’re
unaware of, and this bill is going to prevent that.”
Pritzker urged the legislature to pass the bill during his State
of the State address to the body in early February.
“I am proud that the Illinois General Assembly has passed the
Junk Fee Ban Legislation to put money back in the pockets of
families and establish fair, honest pricing,” Pritzker said in a
statement Wednesday, signaling he won’t take issue signing the
measure.
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