It’s not technically a “rules for thee but not for me” situation, but House Bill 228 does leave a little to be desired.

The proposal – one of more than 150 House members advanced out of committee last week, per a Capitol News Illinois summary – addresses “hidden” charges that end up on customer bills without being posted or advertised. Or “junk fees,” according to change proponents, including state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago:

“Illinois families are tired of seeing one price online and paying another at checkout,” Buckner said in a Wednesday release. “This legislation is about honesty and making sure people know exactly what they’re paying upfront. Businesses shouldn’t be able to hide extra charges in the fine print. If there’s a fee, it should be clear from the start, no surprises.”

As consumer protection goes, this is a good effort. Most of us have at least one experience shopping for something listed as one price only to find out – before we pay, if we’re lucky – about a $10 processing or $5 convenience fee. It’s mandatory, so you either pay the extra or walk away from the transaction.

There’s a right way to do this. Restaurants have for years put fine print on the menu along the lines of “parties of eight or more will be charged a 20% gratuity” or, more recently, phrases such as “card purchases will incur a 3% processing fee.” There has been plenty of litigation over whether such caveats are sufficiently prominent, and to their credit, lawmakers have made a few attempts at removing gray areas and empowering the Illinois Attorney General to crack down on surprise fees that have no viable bearing on the cost of doing business.

Whether this version is the one that finally crosses the legislative finish line remains to be seen. If it does, one thing it won’t do is resolve a personal peeve: a lack of good information on receipts about sales taxes.

My biggest beef is at gas stations. On March 24, I pumped 18.087 gallons at $4.099 each for a total of $74.14. While my receipt tells me it was my Fuel Rewards Platinum Status that saved a dime per gallon off the $4.119 posted price, the tax line shows up as zero because in Illinois, we roll all fuel taxes (and the sales tax on the taxed fuel) into one price.

The state tax is $0.558 per gallon, the federal rate is $0.184, and my county charges $.048. Altogether, that’s 79 cents per gallon. State and local sales taxes add much more. And the receipt says zilch.

Gas taxes aren’t “junk fees,” but Illinoisans don’t know exactly who they’re paying. Lawmakers could change that reality. Choosing not to speaks volumes.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.