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SB 336

Require disclosure of mandatory fees in consumer transactions

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bill Blessing

SB 336 requires suppliers to display total price including all mandatory fees, with specific disclosure rules for various industries and enforcement under the CSPA.

Referred to committee
#commerce #consumerprotection
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Bill Summary · SB 336

Summary of SB 336 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly)

Purpose and intent

SB 336 aims to increase transparency in consumer pricing by requiring suppliers to disclose the total price of goods or services in consumer transactions, including all mandatory fees or surcharges. The bill standardizes what must be disclosed, provides specific compliance pathways for different types of providers (restaurants, hotels, broadband, food delivery platforms, etc.), and prohibits misleading pricing practices. It also creates enforcement provisions under the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA).

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions (Sec. 1345.15)
    The bill adds definitions for terms used in the price-disclosure requirements, including:

    • Mandatory fees or surcharges (with limited exceptions for taxes, government-imposed fees, and reasonable postage/shipping).
    • Various types of entities and services (auction, broadband, cable, hotel, restaurant, food delivery platform, price-variable supplier, etc.).
    • “Supplier” is cross-referenced to existing Revised Code definitions.

  • Display of total price (Sec. 1345.16)

    • Suppliers must advertise or display the total price, including all mandatory fees or surcharges.
    • If a supplier sells both goods and services, they may display the price for the goods separately from the service price.
    • Auctions: must clearly disclose any mandatory fees and that total cost may vary.
    • Restaurants and hotels: must clearly disclose the percentage of automatic/mandatory gratuities in any offer or advertisement that includes pricing.
    • Price-variable suppliers: must disclose the price-determining factors, all mandatory fees/surcharges, and that total cost may vary.
    • Broadband, cable, direct broadcast satellite, and live-event-tickets providers: deemed compliant if they meet applicable federal pricing requirements.
    • Food delivery platforms: deemed compliant if they disclose any mandatory fees/surcharges at the point a consumer views a vendor/item and provide a pre-checkout subtotal that itemizes items and fees.
    • If applicable, platforms may comply by displaying the total price for goods separately from the service price.

  • Operational exemptions and construction (Sec. 1345.161)

    • Allows reductions or promotions (including waivers of mandatory fees) without violating the statute.
    • Exempts certain fees and costs from compliance, including:
    • Legally authorized motor-vehicle related fees set by dealers.
    • Fees from electric utilities, natural gas companies, or telecommunications providers.
    • Settlement-service costs (e.g., title work) that do not include real estate broker commissions.
    • Air transportation fees.
    • Any areas expressly preempted by federal law.

  • Enforcement (Sec. 1345.162)

    • Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the CSPA.
    • The Ohio Attorney General can enforce the provisions using remedies available for the CSPA, including injunctive relief, declaratory judgments, and civil penalties.

  • Additional provisions for food delivery platforms (Sec. 1345.17)

    • At the point a consumer selects a vendor/items, platforms must clearly disclose any mandatory fees or surcharges.
    • Before checkout, platforms must present a subtotal page itemizing item prices and any mandatory fees/surcharges.
    • Platforms may still reduce advertised totals, offer promotions/discounts, or advertise prices in compliance with law.
    • If a platform is a price-variable supplier, it must disclose price-determining factors, mandatory fees, and that total cost may vary.

Who would be affected

  • Broadly affected: Any supplier advertising or selling goods/services in Ohio in a consumer transaction, including merchants, restaurants, hotels, auction houses, price-variable service providers, broadband/cable/NDS providers, live-event ticket sellers, and food delivery platforms.
  • Food delivery platforms: Specific disclosure requirements at item selection and pre-checkout subtotal, with an optional compliance pathway if they meet certain federal standards.
  • Regulatory/Enforcement: The Ohio Attorney General would have enforcement authority under the CSPA.

Timeline and procedural aspects

  • Status: Introduced and referred to committee (as of the latest docket; originally filed December 23, 2025; referred February 11, 2026).
  • Effective date: Not specified in the text provided; typical legislative drafting would specify an effective date in the final act.
  • Enforceability: Violations trigger CSPA remedies and penalties; standard enforcement procedures apply.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Consumers would benefit from clearer pricing and reduced ambiguity about mandatory charges.
  • Businesses would need to audit pricing displays, ensure compliance across channels (online ads, in-store, apps), and potentially redesign checkout flows to show itemized subtotals and total prices.
  • Some exemptions preserve existing fee structures mandated by law or practice (e.g., certain utility or motor-vehicle-related fees, settlement costs, and federally regulated pricing scenarios).
  • The bill creates a structured pathway for compliance while allowing promotions, discounts, or legally required pricing to occur without violating the act.

If you’d like, I can prepare a side-by-side comparison with current Ohio law and highlight potential compliance checklists for different business types.

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

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