PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 22, 2023
Junk Fee Prevention Act
This bill establishes requirements related to the fees charged by specified covered businesses, including those providing short-term lodging, ticketing services, internet service, mobile service, or video programming. It also requires air carriers to seat each young child next to an accompany adult during flights.
Specifically, businesses providing short-term lodging or ticketing services must display the total price (including mandatory fees) of the offered good or service in each advertisement and when the price is first shown to the consumer. Further, ticketing services must (1) disclose any guarantee or refund policy for an event before the transaction is completed, and (2) disclose when they do not possess the ticket for an event at the time of sale. The bill also prohibits excessive or deceptive mandatory fees and provides the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general authority to enforce these requirements.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Additionally, the bill prohibits internet service, mobile service, or video programming providers from charging excessive or unreasonable termination fees. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also must conduct a rulemaking to consider requiring such providers to disclose mandatory fees or prohibiting the services from imposing mandatory fees. The bill provides the FCC authority to enforce these requirements.
Finally, the bill establishes requirements for air carriers to seat each child who is age 13 or younger next to an accompanying adult, subject to limited exceptions. The bill also requires air carriers to provide specified alternatives or a full refund in the event that such seating is not available.
People & committees
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D–CT
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze S.916 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine S.916 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine S.916 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine S.916 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.