Washington, D.C. — In response to news that the Virginia State Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology approved SB388, a ban on junk fees, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“The Virginia Senate has taken an important step to protect Virginians from deceptive fees that cost the average family thousands of dollars per year,” said Pat Garofalo, Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “We are glad to see that the Committee did not fall for industry opposition’s vague hand-waving at ‘unintended consequences,’ and saw this bill for what it is: A straightforward, widely-popular consumer protection to require that corporations be honest in their pricing. We urge the Virginia legislature to pass this bill without delay, and look forward to other states moving on similar legislation.”

For more resources on how state lawmakers and advocates can ban junk fees, check out our End Junk Fees Campaign here.

Learn more about Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.