BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey announced today
that her office has filed an emergency regulation to prohibit price gouging of
essential products and services during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The amendment
to regulation 940 CMR 3:18, filed today
with the Secretary of State’s Office and effective immediately, prohibits price
gouging of goods and services necessary for public health and safety during a
declared statewide or national emergency. Previously under the state’s consumer
protection law, the only existing regulation related to price gouging addressed
the sale of gasoline and other petroleum products.
“We’ve heard from hospitals
and consumers about skyrocketing
prices for things like hand sanitizer, face masks, and other essential gear needed to prevent the spread of
this highly contagious virus and keep our front-line workers safe. That’s
unacceptable and illegal,” said AG Healey. “We issued this emergency
regulation because no one should be exploiting this crisis and putting the
public at risk.”
There have been widespread
reports of inflated prices for goods like hand sanitizer, face masks, and
gloves as well as temporary personnel in response to the growing demand for
such products and services due to the spread of COVID-19. Shortages have been
reported across the country, placing a critical strain on members of the public
as well as hospitals and medical facilities that rely on these essential
products to protect their medical workers from infection and prevent the spread
of disease.
Because the
COVID-19 epidemic continues to escalate at an alarming rate, the AG’s Office
has prioritized measures to ensure the availability of necessary goods and
services, including personal protective equipment for medical professionals. In a letter to President Trump sent earlier this
week, AG Healey joined New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in
calling on the federal government to mobilize the business community to address
the shortage of personal protective equipment like masks, eye protection,
gowns, and gloves. The attorneys general wrote that without this essential
equipment, the doctors, nurses and others on the front lines risk infection and
further spread of this highly contagious virus.
The AG’s Consumer Protection Division encourages members of the public to call 617-727-8400
or file a complaint online about unreasonably high prices of consumer goods
during this public health emergency. Visit the AG’s Office COVID-19 resources page for information about how the office can assist the
public during this emergency.
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