Continuing their efforts to make life more affordable for New Yorkers, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the State Senate championed a slate of five bills to protect consumers, tackle hidden fees, and target deceptive pricing practices for prescription drugs, energy bills, grocery shopping, and subscription services. These comprehensive measures will increase transparency and lower costs.
“At the State Senate, we are looking at every possible way to make New York more affordable for everyone. With this legislation, we are protecting the wallets of families and seniors across Westchester and New York State,” said Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins. “Whether it’s addressing the cost of prescription drugs and groceries, fighting to lower utility costs, or safeguarding against abusive practices that take advantage of hardworking New Yorkers, I will continue fighting for policies that make life more affordable, fair, and prosperous for all. I thank my Senate colleagues for their support for this package.”
The package directly addresses financial burdens that impact families every day by:
- Cracking down on prescription drug price manipulation, requiring drug manufacturers to report anti-competitive “pay-for-delay” agreements, which cost American consumers $3.5 billion per year by keeping lower-cost generic drugs off the market for months.
- Simplifying subscription cancellations by requiring mobile apps offering subscription services to provide an easy option to cancel directly within the app.
- Increasing transparency in energy billing, mandating that Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) provide a clear, side-by-side price comparison between their rates and standard utility rates on customer bills.
- Enhancing oversight of the prescription drug supply chain by requiring pharmacy service organizations and rebate aggregators to register and disclose financial information, ensuring fairer drug pricing.
- Expanding access to fresh, local food for SNAP recipients, allowing low-income families to earn additional purchasing power when buying nutritious, locally grown produce.
- Ensuring honest grocery pricing for online shoppers, requiring grocery stores and food retailers to disclose when online prices are higher than in-store prices.
These reforms will bring immediate financial relief and long-term protections for consumers, in keeping with Sen. Stewart-Cousins’ longstanding commitment to affordability, transparency, and fairness for consumers in Westchester and all New York.
