No Rigged Grocery Prices Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8895

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-06-03T08:07:16Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of H.R. 8895: No Rigged Grocery Prices Act

Purpose of the Legislation

This bill seeks to prevent food retailers and third-party delivery services from using consumers' personal information to adjust prices in real time. It also requires certain disclosures during online grocery orders and mandates a study on how electronic shelf labels might affect jobs in grocery stores.

Key Provisions Outlined

• Prohibition on dynamic pricing: Covered entities (food retailers and third-party delivery providers) may not use technology that relies on a consumer's personal data to raise prices for food items.
• Exceptions include voluntary loyalty or reward programs, promotional offers, temporary discounts for customer retention, or cases where the consumer consents to share data for the offer. Pricing based on objective costs like shipping or taxes is also allowed.
• Disclosure requirements: When offering online grocery orders, covered entities must tell consumers if an item's availability has changed or if the item is weighed to set its price.
• Substitution rules: Third-party delivery providers must get the consumer's explicit approval before replacing a grocery item.
• Enforcement: Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the Federal Trade Commission Act, with the FTC handling enforcement and penalties.
• Report requirement: The Secretary of Labor must submit a report to Congress within one year on how grocery stores' use of electronic shelf labels affects employment levels.

Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced

The bill creates new federal restrictions on the use of personal data for pricing in the grocery sector, which are not currently addressed in existing statutes. It expands FTC authority by classifying these practices as violations of unfair or deceptive acts rules, without altering the core structure of the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Potential Impacts on Government Agencies, Citizens, or International Relations

• Government agencies: The FTC gains enforcement duties, potentially increasing its workload for investigations and penalties. The Department of Labor must prepare a one-time employment report.
• Citizens: Consumers may face fewer personalized price increases based on their data, with added transparency for online orders, though some loyalty-based offers remain permitted.
• International relations: No provisions affect foreign entities, trade agreements, or cross-border activities.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Food retailers operating stores of at least 15,000 square feet that sell food directly to consumers.
• Third-party delivery service providers that handle grocery orders.
• Individual consumers who shop for groceries online or in stores.
• The Federal Trade Commission (for enforcement).
• The Secretary of Labor (for the required report).
• Grocery store employees, whose job numbers may be studied in relation to electronic shelf labels.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Violations trigger standard FTC remedies under existing law, including potential civil penalties, without creating new private rights of action for consumers.
• Constitutional: The bill focuses on commercial regulation of data use and pricing, consistent with Congress's authority over interstate commerce; no apparent conflicts with free speech or due process protections.
• Political: The measure introduces consumer protection rules in retail pricing, potentially sparking debate on business flexibility versus data privacy, though it includes broad exceptions for common marketing practices.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

Recent Actions

• 2026-05-19: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2026-05-19: Introduced in House
• 2026-05-19: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• No Rigged Grocery Prices Act — issued 2026-05-19 — PDF (5 pages)