HB 5212
Phelan’s bill banning junk fees on restaurant prices
Did not pass
Verdict: No flags
Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to the advertising, display, and offer of prices for prepared food.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
The full price, in a clear, readable font.
The bill bars anyone who sells prepared food from advertising, displaying, or offering a price that leaves out mandatory fees, the seller's own charges, or government taxes and fees. It covers restaurants and other prepared-food sellers and requires the full price to appear in a clear, readable font. Consumers can sue for an injunction, damages capped at the lesser of actual damages or $1,000, and attorney's fees, and the attorney general can also sue for injunctions, restitution, and fees, starting with prices posted on or after September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee 10-0 on May 7, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 15, 2025. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB5212 · 2025-03-14
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the advertising, display, and offer of prices for prepared food.
WHAT IT DOES
The full price, in a clear, readable font.
The bill bars anyone who sells prepared food from advertising, displaying, or offering a price that leaves out mandatory fees, the seller's own charges, or government taxes and fees. It covers restaurants and other prepared-food sellers and requires the full price to appear in a clear, readable font. Consumers can sue for an injunction, damages capped at the lesser of actual damages or $1,000, and attorney's fees, and the attorney general can also sue for injunctions, restitution, and fees, starting with prices posted on or after September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version H · May 10, 2025
No first-year general revenue figure available here.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
- Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Considered in public hearing
- Committee substitute considered in committee
- Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- Left pending in committee
- Considered in public hearing
- Committee substitute considered in committee
- Reported favorably as substituted
- Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- Committee report distributed
- Committee report sent to Calendars
- Considered in Calendars
- Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 24, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
JLN III Holdings LLC$50,000.00
JLN III Holdings LLC
$50,000.00
- Cash
- $50,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $50,000.00
Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Oct 8, 2024 to Dec 2, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 11, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100987524.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
JLN III Holdings LLC
$50,000.00
- Cash
- $50,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $50,000.00
Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Oct 8, 2024 to Dec 2, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 11, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100987524.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Witnesses1
- For
- 1
- Against
- 0
- On
- 0
Names
For
- Self1 registration
Sources
1 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.
Fiscal
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version H · May 10, 2025
No first-year general revenue figure available here.
LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.
Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025
05/15/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee
Subjects
Business & Commerce--General
Civil Remedies & Liabilities
Consumer Protection
ADVERTISING
FOOD
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Text
The text as introduced · 302 words
89R7932 MLH-D By: Phelan H.B. No. 5212 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the advertising, display, and offer of prices for prepared food. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code, is amended by adding Section 17.13 to read as follows: Sec. 17.13. DECEPTIVE FOOD PRICE ADVERTISING. (a) A person who sells prepared food may not advertise, display, or offer a price for prepared food in a manner that does not indicate the full price to be paid by the consumer including: (1) any mandatory fees or charges the person imposes; and (2) any taxes or fees imposed by a governmental entity. (b) A person shall ensure that the full price for prepared food described by Subsection (a) is clearly and conspicuously displayed in a standard font type and size that is reasonably easy for a consumer to read. (c) A consumer may bring a cause of action for a violation of this section seeking: (1) an injunction against further violation of this section; (2) damages in an amount equal to the lesser of: (A) actual damages incurred by the person bringing the cause of action; or (B) $1,000; and (3) reasonable attorney's fees. (d) The attorney general may seek: (1) to enjoin violations of this section; and (2) damages and other relief allowed by law, including restitution available under applicable law. (e) In an action brought by the attorney general under Subsection (d), the attorney general is entitled to seek reasonable attorney's fees and costs. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to the advertising, display, or offer of prepared food made on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.