No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bilirakis for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my legislation, H.R. 6543, the No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act, or No Hidden FEES Act.

Hidden fees on short-term lodging stays, such as hotels, inns, and resorts, make budgeting for a trip much harder for families who are already struggling from persistent inflation and rising living costs.

Customers often find themselves paying more for their overnight stay than what was advertised online. These unexpected, deceptive fees hurt families' bottom lines.

According to a 2023 Consumer Reports survey, 37 percent of Americans found themselves paying an extra hidden fee, with more than half expressing that this additional cost took them over budget. The No Hidden FEES Act requires hotels, motels, and travel and lodging sites to disclose upfront the full cost of a short-term stay, including all mandatory and resort fees.

Currently, the way prices are advertised across the lodging industry is fragmented and not uniform. My bill would require all stakeholders in the lodging and booking industries and third-party distributors to clearly display the final price. This provides clarity for consumers and improves the quality of the American hospitality and tourism industries.

I thank Chairwoman Rodgers from the Energy and Commerce Committee for her leadership and the rest of the House Energy and Commerce staff for their tireless work on this bipartisan and commonsense legislation.

I thank Representative Castor for making this a bipartisan bill.

I also thank all the outside stakeholders and consumer advocacy groups who worked with us on this pro-consumer initiative.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lead this commonsense bill and urge my colleagues to vote in support of it.

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