HB 1797 — An Act providing for modernization of unit pricing laws to improve transparency and consistency and for Department of Agriculture rulemaking authority; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   2210

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1797
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY GUZMAN, WEBSTER, HILL-EVANS, OTTEN, PIELLI,
        RIVERA, SANCHEZ AND FIEDLER, AUGUST 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, AUGUST 11, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Providing for modernization of unit pricing laws to improve
 2      transparency and consistency and for Department of
 3      Agriculture rulemaking authority; and imposing penalties.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Uniform Unit
 8   Pricing Modernization Act.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Consumer commodity."     Any food, beverage, household supply,
14   toiletry or other article of personal or domestic use that is
15   customarily consumed or used by individuals and offered for
16   retail sale in packaged form, including goods sold through e-
17   commerce platforms.
18      "Department."   The Department of Agriculture of the
 1   Commonwealth.
 2      "E-commerce."     The sale of consumer commodities through an
 3   online platform, including a website, mobile application or
 4   other Internet-based interface, where consumers may view, select
 5   and purchase products.
 6      "Electronic shelf label."     A digital or electronic display
 7   device used by retailers to show product pricing and
 8   information.
 9      "NIST."     The National Institute of Standards and Technology.
10      "Small retailer."     A retail establishment that operates no
11   more than three physical locations within this Commonwealth and
12   has annual gross sales of less than $1,000,000, as determined by
13   the department through regulation.
14      "Unit price."     The price per standard unit of measure at
15   which a product is offered for sale.
16   Section 3.     Applicability and requirements.
17      (a)   Price display.--Retailers operating in this Commonwealth
18   shall display unit prices for consumer commodities offered for
19   sale in the retailer's establishments.
20      (b)   Unit prices.--Unit prices must be:
21            (1)   Clearly and conspicuously displayed adjacent to the
22      item or on the item's shelf tag.
23            (2)   Provided per common unit of measurement.
24            (3)   Consistent in format with NIST Special Publication
25      1181 (relating to Unit Pricing Guide: A Best Practice
26      Approach to Unit Pricing) standards in effect on the
27      effective date of this paragraph, including formatting for
28      digital or electronic displays.
29      (c)   Digital availability.--Retailers utilizing e-commerce
30   platforms or electronic shelf labels shall ensure that unit

20250HB1797PN2210                    - 2 -
 1   prices are made available digitally in a uniform and accessible
 2   manner consistent with NIST guidance and in accordance with
 3   department regulations.
 4      (d)   Exclusions.--Exceptions and waivers may be granted by
 5   the department for limited product types or in cases of hardship
 6   for small retailers, pursuant to regulations promulgated under
 7   this act. The following shall apply:
 8            (1)   The department shall establish by regulation the
 9      criteria and procedures for requesting a waiver under this
10      subsection.
11            (2)   Waivers shall be granted on a case-by-case basis and
12      shall be time-limited unless renewed upon showing of
13      continued hardship or justified cause.
14            (3)   Each waiver decision shall be made publicly
15      available in accordance with department policy.
16   Section 4.     Enforcement.
17      (a)   Regulations.--The department, in consultation with the
18   Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, shall
19   adopt regulations to implement and enforce this act.
20      (b)   Penalties.--Penalties for violations under this act
21   shall be subject to enforcement actions and fines as determined
22   by the Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer
23   Protection.
24      (c)   Deposit.--Penalty fees collected under this act shall be
25   deposited into the General Fund.
26   Section 5.     Rulemaking authority.
27      The department may promulgate regulations to align with
28   updates to NIST Handbook 130 and Special Publication 1181 as
29   they become available by transmitting notice to the Legislative
30   Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of

20250HB1797PN2210                    - 3 -
1   the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The notice shall have the effect of
2   law and shall not be subject to review under the act of June 25,
3   1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act.
4   Section 6.   Effective date.
5      This act shall take effect in 180 days.




20250HB1797PN2210                  - 4 -