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HB 25-1010

Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jennifer Bacon and 37 co-sponsors

HB 25-1010 bans excessive price hikes on essentials during emergencies, protecting consumers and enabling enforcement by state agencies with penalties for violators.

Governor Signed
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Bill Summary · HB 25-1010

Summary — HB 25-1010: Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities

Status: Governor Signed (May 9, 2025)
Introduced: January 8, 2025
Primary Sponsors: Mike Weissman; Kyle Brown; Yara Zokaie
Cosponsors: (multiple; see Legislative Actions for full list)

Note: The bill text itself was not included with the materials you provided. The summary below states the bill’s stated purpose (from the title), presents the legislative history, and describes the kinds of provisions typically found in “price‑gouging” statutes. Where I infer common provisions, I clearly identify those items as likely/typical rather than verbatim provisions of HB 25‑1010. For exact statutory language, consult the enacted bill text.

Main purpose and intent

The bill’s title — “Prohibiting Price Gouging in Sales of Necessities” — indicates its principal intent: to prevent excessive, exploitative price increases for essential goods and services (necessities), especially in the context of emergencies or other circumstances that disrupt supply and demand. The overall policy aim is consumer protection and market fairness during shortages or disasters.

Legislative timeline (selected)

  • 2025-01-08: Introduced in House; assigned to Business Affairs & Labor
  • 2025-03-10: House Third Reading Passed
  • 2025-03-31: Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
  • 2025-04-29: Signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate
  • 2025-04-30: Sent to Governor
  • 2025-05-09: Governor Signed (became law)

Key provisions (likely/typical based on title)

Because the bill text was not provided, the following are commonly included elements in price‑gouging laws and are likely reflected in HB 25‑1010’s framework:

  • Definition of “necessities”: common categories include food, water, medicine, fuel, medical supplies, shelter, and emergency services.
  • Triggering condition: prohibitions often apply when a declared emergency, disaster, or other specified circumstance affects supply or demand.
  • Prohibited conduct: making unconscionable or excessive price increases for necessities during the triggering period; sometimes a numeric threshold (e.g., increases above X% over pre‑emergency prices) is specified.
  • Exemptions: legitimate cost increases (wholesale cost changes), supply chain disruptions, perishables, or reasonable market responses may be exempt.
  • Enforcement authority: typically the state Attorney General or a regulatory agency can investigate and enforce.
  • Remedies and penalties: civil penalties, injunctive relief, restitution to consumers, and potential consumer private causes of action are commonly provided.
  • Notice and procedures: requirements for timely notice of investigations and processes for businesses to demonstrate justification.

Who would be affected

  • Consumers: increased protection from sudden, exploitative price increases during emergencies.
  • Retailers, wholesalers, and service providers: operational compliance obligations and potential exposure to enforcement actions if prices exceed allowed limits.
  • Government agencies: responsibility for monitoring, investigating complaints, and enforcing the law.

Potential impacts

  • Consumer protection and reduced harm during emergencies.
  • Compliance costs for businesses (recordkeeping, pricing transparency).
  • Possible market effects where short‑term price signals are constrained (debated among economists — could affect supply availability).

If you want, I can:
- Retrieve and summarize the enacted bill text verbatim,
- Extract the exact statutory amendments and penalty amounts, or
- Prepare a side‑by‑side comparison of HB 25‑1010 versus existing Colorado law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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