Senator Webb and the Senate Democratic Majority advanced a comprehensive legislative package that aims to reduce costs for New Yorkers by prohibiting unfair and onerous pricing practices and subscription processes. We remain committed to reducing the financial burdens besetting families and consumers across the state by championing affordability and transparency measures, and by holding manufacturers and service providers accountable for their consumer impact. 

This package includes legislation that would address discriminatory pricing practices by prohibiting the use of algorithms and device information in order to determine prices; promote consumer transparency by requiring no mandatory fees be hidden from the total advertised price of any good or service through the “New York Junk Fee Prevention Act,” and by obligating drug manufacturers to disclose pay-for-delay agreements under the “Manufacturer Disclosure and Transparency Act”; and allow consumers to cancel their subscription to a digital service directly through the mobile application by which that service is provided. 

Said Senator Lea Webb, “Working families across the Southern Tier struggle to afford basic necessities, while corporations continue to make a profit. This package of legislation ensures that corporations conduct their business in good faith and without predatory practices that drain money from New Yorkers’ pockets. These bills address unfair practices such as surprise fees, pay-for-delay agreements, hard-to-cancel subscriptions, and other practices that drive up costs for all of us. We will continue to advance legislation that puts consumer protections over corporate profits.” 

The legislation passed by the Senate Democratic Majority includes: 

• Establishes the “New York Junk Fee Prevention Act”: This bill, S.363A, sponsored by Senator Gianaris, would prevent hidden or deceptive fees from being added to the advertised price of goods and services. 
• Establishes the “Protecting Consumers and Jobs from Discriminatory Pricing Act”: This bill, S.8616A, sponsored by Senator Gianaris, would prohibit prohibit the use of electronic shelving labels, digital shelf display technology, and surveillance pricing in food retail establishments and drug retail establishments, preventing businesses from using algorithmic discriminatory pricing practices that unfairly impact consumers and workers. 
• Requires Deletion of Consumer Financial Information After Cancellation of Automatic Renewals or Continuous Services: This bill, S.4413A, sponsored by Senator May, would require businesses to delete a consumer’s financial information after cancellation of an automatic renewal or continuous service unless the consumer affirmatively consents to retention of such information. The bill would also require businesses to notify consumers once the information has been deleted.
• Caps on Rental Vehicle Refueling Charges: This bill, S.5599, sponsored by Senator May, would place a cap on the amount a rental vehicle company may charge a renter for refueling a rental vehicle. 
• Enacts the “Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness Act”: This bill, S.8563, sponsored by Senator Cleare, would establish an anti-trust regulatory framework governing the pricing practices of grocery suppliers and retailers, preventing large dominant retailers from using their market power to secure preferred pricing contracts over smaller competitors. 
• Enacts the “Manufacturer Disclosure and Transparency Act”: This bill, S.488A, sponsored by Senator Fernandez, would require prescription drug manufacturers to notify the Attorney General of arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers that result in delays to the introduction of generic medications. 
• Requires Subscription Cancellation Options on Mobile Applications: This bill, S.4391, sponsored by Senator Gounardes, would require mobile applications on cell phones, smartphones, and tablets that offer subscription services to provide users with an option to cancel their subscriptions directly through the application. 
• Prohibits Online Retailers from Basing Prices on Device Information or Geolocation: This bill, S.8483C, sponsored by Senator Ryan, would prohibit online retailers from basing prices on the hardware, software, or geolocation of an online device, preventing discriminatory online pricing practices. 

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