Essay
My bill HF3438 would make failure to disclose mandatory fees in advertising a deceptive trade practice. This bill would be extremely helpful to the general public because it would mean that advertisers have to disclose a true price in advertisements. It has also been shown in a 2023 call for public comment that a majority of people supported the bill or cited bad experiences relating to fees. The federal trade commission has also promoted a similar rule since 2023, and it has been implemented in other states.
It was found that over 15% of adults in America were victims of deceptive advertising. Companies are more then willing to take advantage of the public for money. We shouldn't trust that they have our best interest in mind when they advertise to the people, we should regulate them and not allow then to lie to us. They shouldn't be able to profit from advertising prices that they cant promise.
HF3438 would make Failure to disclose mandatory fees in advertising a deceptive trade practice. A mandatory fee includes: A fee that must be paid to purchase the goods, a fee that is not reasonably avoidable by the consumer, or a fee that anyone would expect to be included in the good being advertised. This would make it so that companies and businesses that rely on deceptive business practices are no long able to get away with showing costs they wont meet.
Once it is added as a deceptive trade practice it will make advertisers more careful about what they put in advertisements. There is lots of people who are more or less vulnerable to deceptive advertising but outright lies and misinformation should never be allowed in a business that works it hardest to manipulate people into spending money.
In conclusion the bill HF3438 would make it just a bit harder for advertisers to manipulate people into buying what they sell. We shouldn't take the side of corporations over people, and we should regulate business models that could or can harm people.
