This bill would stop certain pricing and surveillance practices in retail food stores. It would make it illegal for a grocery or other retail food store to sell an item at a "grossly excessive price." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must write rules within 180 days that explain what counts as a market and what counts as an excessive or grossly excessive price. The FTC may consider a price that is 120% (or a lower percent the FTC chooses) of a 6-month market average when defining "grossly excessive." Stores can defend a price increase if they show the increase came from costs they could not control.
The bill would also ban "surveillance-based price setting." Stores could not set or change a consumer's price based on personal information, including data from facial recognition. The bill allows some discounts tied to group membership (like age or military service) if the rules are public and applied uniformly. A store may use an adult consumer's biometric data only if the consumer gives a written release, receives written notice of purpose and retention, is told when data may be shared with law enforcement, and the store does not sell that biometric data.
Stores that use facial recognition must post clear signs at the store entrance saying they use it and why. Stores larger than 10,000 square feet would be barred from using electronic shelf labels or other digital shelf price displays and must show prices with non-digital tags or labels. The FTC would enforce these rules under its existing authority. States and consumers would also be able to sue under the bill. The bill authorizes $5,000,000 for carrying out the Act for fiscal year 2026, available until September 30, 2032. The bill defines key terms such as biometric data, personal information, electronic shelf label, and retail food store.
If you shop at a retail food store, the bill would aim to limit sudden or very large price increases and prevent stores from changing prices for individual shoppers based on tracking or facial recognition. Stores would have to post notices if they use facial recognition and, for large stores, use paper or sticker prices on shelves instead of digital tags. Consumers could sue a store for violations and might recover damages or statutory amounts specified in the bill.
If you operate or work for a retail food store, the bill would require you to avoid pricing that the FTC calls "grossly excessive," stop personalized pricing tied to surveillance data, post signage about facial recognition use, and stop using electronic shelf labels in stores over 10,000 square feet. The bill includes narrow paths for allowed discounts and for voluntary use of biometric data with strict written consent and notice requirements.
The bill authorizes $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to carry out the Act, available until September 30, 2032. No publicly available information on other estimated costs, savings, or economic impacts is included in the bill text.
As stated in the bill text, the sponsors seek to prohibit price gouging in retail food stores and to stop pricing that is based on electronic surveillance of consumers. The bill frames its provisions as protections for consumers by defining and banning "grossly excessive" prices and surveillance-based price setting and by requiring disclosure and consent rules for biometric use.
No publicly available information.