The proposed bill, "An Act relative to hidden fees and price transparency," seeks to enhance consumer protection by mandating clear disclosure of pricing in transactions. It introduces a new section, Section 12, to Chapter 93A of the General Laws, which defines key terms such as "total price," "mandatory fee," "optional fee," and "advertised price." The bill requires that any person engaged in trade or commerce must clearly and conspicuously disclose the total price of a good or service at the time the advertised price is presented. It also stipulates that while optional fees can be excluded from the advertised price, their optional nature must be clearly disclosed, and consumers must affirmatively choose to incur such fees.

Furthermore, the bill outlines that it is considered an unfair or deceptive act to advertise prices that do not include all mandatory fees, misrepresent mandatory fees as optional, or present fees in a way that obscures the total price. The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office is granted the authority to create rules and regulations for the implementation and enforcement of this section, including standards for disclosure and examples of unfair pricing practices. Violations of this section would be classified as unfair or deceptive acts under the existing law.