Governor Glenn Youngkin will soon consider a bill aimed at cracking down on junk fees.
How does a $6 hamburger become a $17 hamburger? Junk fees and hidden charges that are added as customers click their way to checkout. That's why Senator Stella Pekarsky, a Democrat from Fairfax County, introduced a bill to crack down on the practice.
"When you click on that hamburger, it's going to tell you right then and there what you’re going to pay, and it won't be a surprise at the very end. And there are hidden fees everywhere," Pekarsky says. "I mean, they’re in rental agreements. They’re in online ticket sales. It seems like every year, the list keeps going on and on."
The House version of the bill was introduced by Delegate Adele McClure, a Democrat from Arlington.
"Once this bill becomes law, and hopefully the governor will side with the people, businesses will no longer be able to deceive folks into making those purchases," McClure says. "They should disclose those fees up front, and they should be fair and transparent like other businesses are."
A similar bill was approved by the House and Senate last year, but it did not make its way to the governor's desk. Things are different this year, and a spokesman for the governor says he'll take a look at it when it gets to his desk.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
