Sponsors (89)
Official title: To prohibit retail food stores from price gouging and engaging in surveillance-based price setting practices, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 12, 2025 by Rashida Tlaib · Last progress August 12, 2025
The bill strengthens consumer privacy and anti-discrimination protections in retail food stores (including explicit bans on surveillance-based price setting and opt-in biometric rules) at the cost of increased compliance, operational burdens, and legal uncertainty for retailers and regulators that could raise prices and complicate enforcement.
All shoppers (including low-income consumers and retail food store customers) gain protections against surveillance-based personalized pricing and 'grossly excessive' prices because the Act defines prohibited conduct and covers retail food stores.
All consumers get stronger controls over biometric and personal data use: biometric identity checks require clear written notice and opt-in consent, and personal data use is limited (e.g., to administering discounts) rather than for covert profiling or targeted ads.
Shoppers (students, veterans, other eligible groups) retain access to uniform group discounts and some disclosed personalized discounts based on purchase history, preserving common savings programs while reducing secret profiling.
Retailers (small and large) face increased compliance, signage, labeling, and operational costs (plus potential enforcement fines), costs that are likely to be passed on to consumers through higher prices.
Low-income consumers, students, and others may see fewer targeted coupons and personalized deals as firms curtail individualized pricing to avoid regulatory risk, reducing some consumers' ability to get lower prices.
Businesses, state governments, and the FTC may face significant legal uncertainty and administrative burden because of broad definitions, new FTC rulemaking, and limited preemption that creates a patchwork of state and federal obligations.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Bans grocery price gouging and surveillance-based individualized pricing, requires facial-recognition notices, forbids electronic shelf labels in large stores, and grants FTC/state/private enforcement.
Prohibits grocery stores from charging "grossly excessive" prices and from using consumers' personal data (including facial recognition and other surveillance) to set individualized prices. Assigns the Federal Trade Commission rulemaking and enforcement authority, creates civil penalties and private rights of action, requires store notices when facial recognition is used, and bans electronic shelf labels in large brick-and-mortar grocery stores while authorizing limited, consented biometric identity verification. Provides $5 million in appropriations to implement the law.