Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for HB0296

Creates the Retail Consumer Protection Act. Provides that all businesses engaged in retail commerce shall have a designated employee who has the responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of all posted and advertised prices. Provides that the person designated for ensuring the accuracy of all posted and advertised prices shall keep a written record of any customer complaints received concerning any overcharging or other acts of consumer fraud, unfair methods of competition, and deceptive business practices. Requires the record to be kept for no less than 2 years and made available to investigators of the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Weights and Measures upon request. Provides that any person engaged in retail commerce that is alerted by a customer of any overcharging shall immediately report the overcharge to the person designated for ensuring the accuracy of posted and advertised prices, who shall investigate the alleged error. Provides that, if the customer was charged more than the advertised or posted price, and the value of the item in question was less than $3, the customer shall be given the item for free. Provides that, if the value of the item in question was $3 or more, the customer shall be sold the item at the correct price and $3 shall be deducted from the price charged. Requires the designated person to ensure that the correct price is posted and programmed into all payment systems within 30 minutes of receiving a customer complaint. Establishes penalties. Provides that the Director shall provide an annual written report to the Attorney General and the Governor describing the activities undertaken by himself or herself and any city sealers of weights and measures to implement the Act, and any substitute local ordinances. Amends the Weights and Measures Act to grant city sealers the powers established in the Retail Consumer Protection Act.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the bill, as amended, with the following changes. Provides that all businesses engaged in retail commerce shall have at least one designated employee (instead of a designated employee) who has the responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of all posted and advertised prices and for resolving any customer complaints related to the accuracy of prices. Requires the person designated to ensure the accuracy of all posted and advertised prices to maintain records of overcharging and to make those records available to investigators of the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Weights and Measures upon request. Removes the time period for keeping the records. Provides that the person designated to ensure the accuracy of all posted and advertised prices shall ensure that the correct price is posted and programmed into all payment systems within a reasonable time (instead of within 30 minutes of receiving a customer complaint). Reduces the penalty for overcharging to up to $500 per violation for the 6th and each subsequent violation within a 12-month period (instead of $5,000 per violation). Makes other changes.

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