COLUMBUS, Ohio — House Bill 718 was introduced Wednesday by state lawmakers to help protect families from price gouging during the infant formula shortage.
The bill sponsored by Independent Shayla Davis and Democrat Jeffrey Crossman aims to penalize any retailer who tries to raise prices above the average rate. H.B. 718 states that “For any period for which there is a shortage of infant formula, no supplier shall sell or offer to sell in any part of this state any infant formula at a rate or price that is more than five percent above the rate or price charged by the supplier for the same or similar good immediately prior to the covered period.”
Currently, Ohio law does not prevent price gouging under the Consumer Sales Practices Act.
Families across the nation have been struggling to keep baby formula in their homes due to recent supply chain issues and the recall of several popular formula products. One local family told the Guardian, “Every time we go to the store to look for the formula the shelves are always empty. We constantly switch our child’s formulas. One day the store might have it and the next day they do not.”
In May, President Joe Biden and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to help ensure manufacturers accelerate the production of infant formula.
“Ensuring the safe and steady supply of infant formula to American families is an urgent priority for this Administration and critical to our nation’s health security,” said Secretary Becerra.
The Center for Disease Control offers some commonsense tips during the continuing formula shortage.
Tips for families who are feeding any infant formula:
- When using infant formula, place only the amount your baby will eat in the bottle. This avoids wasting your supply.
- Do not mix infant formula with more water than the instructions say. Adding more water can cause nutritional imbalances and lead to serious health problems, such as seizures, for your baby.
- Do not make or feed your baby homemade infant formula. Feeding homemade infant formula to your baby can lead to serious health problems.
- When choosing an infant formula:
- You can switch to another infant formula brand, including store brands, if needed. Most babies can tolerate switching between different brands. If no brands have the type of infant formula your baby uses, talk with your child’s doctor about which type of infant formula would be right for your baby.
- If you buy infant formula online, only purchase from well-recognized distributors and pharmacies (not individual people or auction sites).
- Learn more about choosing an infant formula.