Pink Tax Repeal Act

This bill, the Pink Tax Repeal Act, makes it illegal to charge different prices for consumer products or services that are essentially the same when the difference is based on the gender the product or service is marketed to. It covers both goods from the same manufacturer and services, if there’s no real difference in what they’re made of, how they’re used, how they’re designed, or the time, difficulty, or cost to provide the service. Color alone does not count as a real difference. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can enforce these rules like other consumer protection laws, and state attorneys general can also sue to stop violations and get money back for residents.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Businesses that sell consumer products or services, and shoppers who buy them.
• What changes: Gender-based price differences for substantially similar products or services are banned; the FTC can enforce, and state attorneys general can bring cases and seek refunds for people in their state.
• How “substantially similar” is defined: For products, no big differences in materials, intended use, or design/features; for services, no big differences in time, difficulty, or cost. A color change by itself doesn’t count.
• When: The text provided doesn’t state an effective date.