Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens protections and enforcement to curb excessive fuel prices and channels penalties to help low-income households, but creates broad enforcement powers, significant penalty risk, and ambiguous standards that may raise costs, deter supply, and increase compliance and litigation burdens.
Drivers and households (including low-income families) are protected from unconscionably excessive gasoline prices during an Iran-related emergency, reducing short-term fuel cost spikes and some inflationary pressure on commuting and goods.
Federal enforcement capacity is preserved and strengthened — the FTC keeps its authorities and DOJ criminal penalty provisions create stronger deterrence against deceptive or abusive conduct in energy/petroleum markets.
Low-income households get additional LIHEAP and weatherization assistance funded by penalties, directly reducing energy bills and heating/cooling burdens for vulnerable families.
Fuel sellers (including small stations and regional suppliers) face large civil and criminal penalties and legal exposure, which firms may pass on to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Vague standards for prohibited conduct (e.g., 'unconscionably excessive,' 'grossly exceed') create enforcement uncertainty that could deter sellers from supplying markets, invite litigation, and produce localized shortages or non-price burdens (time, access).
Overlapping and potentially duplicative enforcement by both states and the FTC (and uncertainty about which regulator leads interstate cases) raises compliance and legal costs for businesses and can prolong enforcement timelines.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits unconscionably excessive retail and wholesale gasoline/distillate prices during a specified Iran-related emergency and directs penalties to energy-assistance programs.
Official title: To protect consumers from gasoline and fuel price gouging, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 7, 2026 by Kristen McDonald Rivet · Last progress May 7, 2026
The bill bans selling gasoline and other petroleum distillates at "unconscionably excessive" prices during an emergency tied to U.S. military operations against Iran that began March 2026, lasting until the President certifies operations have ceased and the Strait of Hormuz is fully open. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the rule, states can sue, and criminal penalties (up to $500 million) and civil remedies apply; collected fines fund low-income energy assistance and weatherization programs. Definitions for wholesale and retail sales are specified, and the bill preserves existing FTC authority and state law.