Senate Democratic Majority Advances Legislation to Lower Costs and Increase Pricing Transparency for New Yorkers

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y) Today, Senator Lea Webb and the Senate Democratic Majority advanced a comprehensive legislative package to lower costs for New Yorkers and ensure greater transparency in pricing across essential goods and services. From prescription drug costs and energy rates to subscription services and grocery prices, this package addresses financial burdens that impact families across the state, strengthening the Senate Democratic Majority’s commitment to affordability and consumer protection. 

This sweeping package targets key cost drivers that burden New Yorkers daily, tackling hidden fees, deceptive pricing, and barriers to financial transparency. It includes measures to crack down on prescription drug price manipulation, requiring disclosure of anti-competitive “pay-for-delay” agreements that keep generic medications off the market. It strengthens energy pricing transparency, mandating clear comparisons between energy service company (ESCO) rates and standard utility prices. It also ensures honest grocery pricing by requiring online food retailers to disclose when their prices differ from in-store rates. Additionally, the package makes it easier for consumers to cancel subscription services, preventing companies from locking users into costly, hard-to-exit contracts. And to support both local farmers and low-income families, the legislation expands access to fresh, locally grown food by providing SNAP recipients with extra purchasing power when buying nutritious produce. Together, these reforms offer immediate financial relief and long-term protections for consumers, making New York a fairer and more affordable place to live. 

 Said Senator Webb, “Working families across the Southern Tier deserve transparency, fairness, and protection from unfair corporate practices that drive up prices. The legislative package we passed today will protect consumers from hidden fees and deceptive pricing, keeping more money in the pockets of New Yorkers. I am committed to fighting for a more affordable New York with an economy that works for everyone.” 

The legislation passed by the Senate Democratic Majority includes: 

● Disclosure of Pay-for-Delay Agreements: This bill, S.488, sponsored by Senator Nathalia Fernandez, would require drug manufacturers to report all pay for delay agreements to the Attorney General’s Office (AG). The AG’s office would subsequently report to other state and outside entities and post the notice in a searchable database on its website. Brand-name drug manufacturers typically use pay for delay agreements to delay the entry of lower-cost generic drugs into the market. 

● Making it easier to cancel subscription services through mobile apps: This bill, S4391 , sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, would require mobile applications on cell phones, smart phones, and tablets that offer a subscription service to provide an option to cancel the subscription on its application. 

● Requires comparison of prices charged by energy service companies: This bill, S.3876 , sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, would require a side-by-side comparison on the first page of ESCO customers billing statements of the price the ESCO charged during the prior billing period, compared to the price the customer would have paid if they received service from their local utility corporation or municipality. 

● Prescription Drug Supply Chain Transparency Act: This bill, S.438, sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie, requires pharmacy services administrative organizations, switch companies, and rebate aggregators to register with the Department of Financial Services. These companies will have to provide certain disclosures like ownership, structure, and audited financials to the Department. The Department will post the information in a searchable database on its website. 

● The New York Healthy Incentive Program (NYHIP): This bill, S.1281 , sponsored by Senator Roxanne J. Persaud would establish NYHIP to allow recipients to receive earned SNAP dollars for every dollar they spend on locally grown produce and other locally grown healthy foods. The program would incentivize fresh and healthy food purchases using SNAP benefits and increase local investments in farms and farm-to-consumer entities. 

● Ensuring pricing transparency for online grocery delivery and pick-up services: This bill, S4433 , sponsored by Senator James Skoufis, would require grocery stores, food retailers and third party platforms to clearly state and disclose on their website and or app if there is a difference in the price of a product ordered online compared to the price of the same product if it is bought in-store. 

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