The proposed bill, General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5571, aims to establish a maximum restocking fee for returned consumer goods, effective October 1, 2025. It defines key terms such as "business," "consumer," and "consumer good" in alignment with existing statutes. The bill stipulates that no business can charge a consumer a restocking fee that exceeds either the actual cost incurred in returning the item to inventory or five percent of the purchase price of the consumer good. Additionally, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection is granted the authority to adopt regulations to enforce these provisions.

Furthermore, any violation of this new regulation would be classified as an unfair or deceptive trade practice under current law. The bill seeks to protect consumers from excessive fees when returning goods, thereby promoting fair business practices in the retail sector. The language of the bill includes new insertions to define the maximum fee structure and the enforcement mechanisms, while it also indicates that the proposed deletions are not applicable as the entire text is new.