HB528 expands consumer-protection laws during declared states of emergency. Previously, it was unlawful to impose unconscionable prices only for the sale or rental of commodities or facilities during such emergencies. This bill, however, also prohibits imposing unconscionable prices for the provision of any service during a declared state of emergency.
The Alabama State House of Representatives passed HB528 on April 9, 2025 by a vote of 96 to 1. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands government intervention in the economy under the guise of consumer protection. By expanding price-gouging laws to include services during declared emergencies, HB528 imposes arbitrary limits on what businesses can charge—undermining the market’s ability to respond to shifting supply and demand. Government-imposed price controls during emergencies risk creating service shortages, discourage entrepreneurship, and set a dangerous precedent for broader economic regulation during crises.