IL Senate unanimously votes in favor of a bill banning junk fees

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan to ban junk fees in Illinois passed the Senate unanimously Thursday.

The proposal would require all mandatory fees and charges to be clearly displayed before purchase. So, the total price will always be shown at the time of payment, rather than finding hidden fees at the bottom of the receipt.

However, this bill does not include government taxes, fees or shipping costs as a part of the final cost display.

State Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) said he's been working on this policy for the past two years.

"[We were] finding a balance and making sure that we are protecting consumers and their hard earned money and not being overly burdensome to businesses," Aquino said. "We took our time to be meticulous and understanding that a good legislation is a balancing act and we've done that here."

GOP members commended the lawmaker for his work. Republican Senators said the original bill two years ago had "thousands of opponents," but after Aquino's long negotiations the opponents have been whittled down to just a few.

With the proposal passing the Senate unanimously, it will head to the House for further debate.