Titus introduces bill to ban price gouging

( Appeal Capitol Bureau) - Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, introduced a bill Monday that would ban price gouging by businesses during an emergency.

She said that situation hasn't occurred in Nevada, but that there were serious problems with businesses jacking up prices in the wake of hurricanes in Florida and New Orleans. She said the cost of motel and hotel rooms, lumber prices and even bottled water were raised to unconscionable levels.

"This is to make sure we're ready if we have a disaster or other emergency," she said.

SB82 would define price gouging in an emergency as a deceptive trade practice and charge the attorney general's office with enforcing the law.

Under the language in the bill, price gouging would be defined as an increase of 25 percent or more in the average price of goods or services rented, leased, or sold during the 30 days before the state of emergency.

It does say, however, that the law doesn't apply if the price increase is caused by the increase in costs incurred for the goods or services.

SB82 was referred to the Commerce and Labor Committee for study.