The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the No Hidden FEES Act, helping to establish transparency in extra fees for travelers booking any type of accommodation in the U.S.
Introduced by Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Kathy Castor, D-Fla., the bill was approved unanimously by the House Energy & Commerce Committee in December 2023 and passed in a bipartisan vote on the House floor on Tuesday, June 11th.
The bill seeks to prohibit hotels, short-term rentals, metasearch platforms and online travel agencies from excluding mandatory fees, besides taxes and other government charges, from the price of a room reservation when displaying or advertising the charges. It has been a significant legislative priority for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and would establish a “comprehensive single standard” for transparent and mandatory fee displaces in the lodging sector, AHLA said in a statement.
New Bill Applies to All Lodgings
The bill is valid for all types of lodging business—from short-term rentals to online travel agencies metasearch sites and hotels—and informs guests about mandatory fees, said AHLA Interim President and CEO Kevin Carey.
“It makes sense for all lodging businesses to tell guests up front about mandatory fees,” Carey said. “That’s why AHLA has led efforts supporting federal legislation to establish a single and transparent standard for mandatory lodging fee displays and an even competitive playing field.”
