USA : Does a Federal Price Gouging Law even Make Sense - And, if So, What Should It Look Like?
As COVID-19 continues to impact communities across the United States—causing many state and local authorities to extend (or reinstate) emergency orders and other state-specific pricing restrictions—the idea of federal price gouging legislation has become a hot topic of conversation in the U.S. Congress, as well as in the business community. But, while numerous federal bills have been introduced, none seems to address three critical questions: what, if any, issues arise from the current state-by-state price gouging enforcement regime; can federal price gouging legislation address any of these issues; and how should a federal price gouging law be crafted to improve, instead of further complicate, price gouging laws in the United States? This article seeks to answer these questions, and includes a comprehensive discussion of the current state of play at both the state and federal levels