Senate Bill 847 Summary

• Prohibits charging excessively increased prices (more than 10% above pre-emergency levels) for building materials, food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, goods, and services during a declared state of emergency, unless the increase is attributable to increased cost of bringing items to market.

• Defines "state of emergency" to include natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism threats, severe weather warnings, federal public emergencies, and gubernatorial emergency declarations.

• Authorizes the Attorney General to bring class actions on behalf of injured persons for actual damages or $100, whichever is greater, and to seek injunctive relief and civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation for individuals or $1,000,000 for other persons.

• Makes violations a misdemeanor punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and up to $10,000 fine for individuals, or up to $1,000,000 fine for other persons.

• Grants the Attorney General and prosecuting attorneys investigative powers including authority to issue demands for testimony and documents, with court enforcement mechanisms.