The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) recently released a statement urging the Senate and Governor to support a bill to amend Pennsylvania’s Price Gouging Law.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 193-0 Tuesday to advance the bill to the Senate.
“This legislation positively impacts both consumers and retailers across Pennsylvania, particularly in cases where a state of emergency has been declared,” PFMA President & CEO Alex Baloga said. “We stand with the coalition of business organizations that support the swift concurrence in the Senate and a signature by Gov. Tom Wolf to enact this important piece of legislation.”
PFMA said the bill, which is sponsored by state Sen. Randy Vulakovich (R-38th District), would simplify and clarify the price gouging law.
The bill would reduce a 20 percent price increase standard to a 10 percent threshold, which PFMA said would add insulation from excessive price increases and make it easier for the state Attorney General to prosecute offenders.
It would also replace the use of the “average price” as the benchmark price with the “price immediately before” the emergency.
PFMA also said that the legislation would provide an incentive to sellers to provide products to areas affected by an emergency by allowing them to sell at a price that is comparable to those in areas that are not affected.