Pallone’s Leadership Delivers Major Consumer Wins in Government Funding Bill

Washington, DC - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, announced today that key consumer protections he championed have been included in the newly released short-term government funding agreement. The legislation, which keeps federal operations running through March, cracks down on hotel and ticket junk fees by requiring all-in pricing disclosure and strengthens consumer safety standards-enshrining critical protections advocated by Pallone into law.

"These protections will lower costs, increase transparency, and save lives in New Jersey and across the nation," said Pallone. "With this funding bill, we've ensured these safeguards will continue regardless of who occupies the White House. Americans deserve upfront transparency when buying tickets or booking hotels, and they deserve to be safe from dangerous products in their homes and communities. I also want to recognize the leadership of my former colleague and friend, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., who was a longtime advocate for enacting legislation to protect ticket buyers."

Pallone led efforts to include provisions from his bipartisan TICKET Act, which passed the House earlier this year, along with enhanced safety standards for lithium-ion batteries and poison prevention measures.

Key Consumer Protection Wins in the Funding Package:

Junk Fees Ban: cracks down on junk fees by requiring upfront, all-in pricing for hotels, vacation rentals, and live-event tickets.

Additional TICKET Act Provisions: Mandates refunds for canceled events, bans speculative ticketing, and prohibits deceptive ticketing websites.

Combating Online Exploitation: Introduces protections against non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, with tools for removal and prosecution.

Lithium-Ion Battery Safety: Implements rigorous safety standards to prevent fires caused by unregulated batteries used in electric scooters and bikes, addressing the rising number of life-threatening incidents from faulty batteries.

Poison Prevention Measures: Restricts access to high-concentration sodium nitrite, a chemical linked to a troubling rise in self-poisonings promoted on anonymous forums.