Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2025 | ChamberLight
Bills · HR 4966
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 4966Commerce
Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2025
INTRO AUG 12· LAST ACTION AUG 12
READING
14MIN
COSPONSORS
75
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
This bill matters because it directly addresses widespread concerns about rising grocery prices and the fairness of how products are priced in stores. Many people worry that stores are taking advantage of economic conditions to raise prices unfairly, and this bill tries to put limits on that. If it becomes law, it could lead to more stable and transparent pricing for everyday food items, making it easier for families to budget for groceries.
Additionally, the bill tackles important privacy issues by stopping stores from using personal information, including facial recognition data, to set different prices for different customers. This means your shopping habits or identity wouldn't dictate the price you pay. Without this bill, stores could continue to use advanced technologies to personalize prices, potentially leading to some customers paying more for the same item. The requirement for non-digital price tags in large stores also aims to ensure pricing clarity, preventing rapid, invisible price changes that digital displays allow.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extracted
PROVISION 01
Prohibits retail food stores from selling items at a "grossly excessive price," which the FTC will define, potentially as 120% or more of the average market price over six months.
This aims to protect consumers from extreme price increases on essential food items.
PROVISION 02
Bans "surveillance-based price setting," preventing grocery stores from changing prices for individual customers based on their personal information or biometric data.
This safeguards consumer privacy and ensures everyone pays the same price for an item, regardless of their personal data.
PROVISION 03
Requires retail food stores using facial recognition technology to clearly notify consumers through prominent signage at their main entrance.
This increases transparency, allowing customers to be aware when their biometric data might be collected.
PROVISION 04
Prohibits retail food stores larger than 10,000 square feet from using electronic shelf labels and requires them to use non-digital price displays.
This aims to prevent rapid, potentially unnoticed price changes and ensures greater price stability and visibility for shoppers.
PROVISION 05
Grants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) authority to define specific terms, issue regulations, and enforce all provisions of the act as unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
This establishes a clear federal body responsible for overseeing and enforcing these new consumer protections.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill matters because it directly addresses widespread concerns about rising grocery prices and the fairness of how products are priced in stores. Many people worry that stores are taking advantage of economic conditions to raise prices unfairly, and this bill tries to put limits on that. If it becomes law, it could lead to more stable and transparent pricing for everyday food items, making it easier for families to budget for groceries.
Additionally, the bill tackles important privacy issues by stopping stores from using personal information, including facial recognition data, to set different prices for different customers. This means your shopping habits or identity wouldn't dictate the price you pay. Without this bill, stores could continue to use advanced technologies to personalize prices, potentially leading to some customers paying more for the same item. The requirement for non-digital price tags in large stores also aims to ensure pricing clarity, preventing rapid, invisible price changes that digital displays allow.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Prohibits retail food stores from selling items at a "grossly excessive price," which the FTC will define, potentially as 120% or more of the average market price over six months.
This aims to protect consumers from extreme price increases on essential food items.
high
Bans "surveillance-based price setting," preventing grocery stores from changing prices for individual customers based on their personal information or biometric data.
This safeguards consumer privacy and ensures everyone pays the same price for an item, regardless of their personal data.
med
Requires retail food stores using facial recognition technology to clearly notify consumers through prominent signage at their main entrance.
This increases transparency, allowing customers to be aware when their biometric data might be collected.
med
Prohibits retail food stores larger than 10,000 square feet from using electronic shelf labels and requires them to use non-digital price displays.
This aims to prevent rapid, potentially unnoticed price changes and ensures greater price stability and visibility for shoppers.
high
Grants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) authority to define specific terms, issue regulations, and enforce all provisions of the act as unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
This establishes a clear federal body responsible for overseeing and enforcing these new consumer protections.
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act
The Commission shall promulgate regulations with respect to violations of price gouging, including guidelines on what constitutes a market, a grossly excessive price, and an excessive price.
Treated as a violation of existing FTC regulations regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices and unfair methods of competition, subject to FTC enforcement powers (e.g., cease-and-desist orders, civil penalties as determined by existing FTC Act provisions).
An operator of a retail food store
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Retail food store
A place where food items are sold directly to customers, such as a grocery store or supermarket.
Price gouging
Charging extremely high or unfair prices for goods or services, especially during an emergency or crisis, but under this bill, defined more broadly as a 'grossly excessive price'.
Grossly excessive price
A price for an item that is considered unfairly high, potentially defined by the Federal Trade Commission as 120% or more of the average price of that item in the market over a recent six-month period.
Surveillance-based price setting
Adjusting the price of an item for a specific customer based on their personal information or data collected about them, rather than a standard price for everyone.
Electronic shelf label
A digital display used on store shelves to show product prices, which can be changed remotely and quickly.
Facial recognition technology
A technology capable of identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame by analyzing patterns based on the person's facial features.
Biometric data
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
AUG 12, 25
Introduced in House
INTROREFERRAL
AUG 12, 25
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Unique physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to identify an individual, such as fingerprints, facial patterns, voice prints, or iris scans.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
A U.S. government agency responsible for promoting consumer protection, preventing anti-competitive business practices, and ensuring fair competition.
