Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would stop grocery stores from charging "grossly excessive" prices for food. It gives the Federal Trade Commission the power to decide what a fair price is, but suggests that any price more than 20% higher than the average price from the previous six months could be considered price gouging.
• The policy bans stores from using "surveillance-based pricing." This means stores could not use your personal data—like your shopping history, income, or facial recognition—to change the price of an item specifically for you. Stores would also have to post clear signs if they use facial recognition technology at all.
• Grocery stores larger than 10,000 square feet would be banned from using electronic shelf labels or digital price tags. They would be required to use traditional printed labels so that prices cannot be changed instantly or hidden from certain shoppers.
• If a store breaks these rules, shoppers would have the right to sue for at least $3,000 in damages. State governments could also sue stores on behalf of their residents to stop unfair pricing and collect money for people who were overcharged.
• Stores would still be allowed to offer standard discounts for groups like seniors, students, or military members, as long as the rules are the same for everyone in those groups. They can also raise prices if their own costs for buying or shipping the food go up for reasons they can't control.