AN UPDATE ON HFA’S EFFORTS ACROSS THE GLOBE
More State Wins for HFA Advocacy
The HFA policy team earns major legislative victories in New York and Illinois.
The HFA achieved significant victories during the 2025 legislative sessions in New York and Illinois, successfully defeating five burdensome proposals that would have created substantial operational challenges for fitness facilities across both states. As both state legislatures officially adjourned their sessions, the fitness industry can celebrate preserved operational flexibility and the defeat of regulatory burdens thanks to the HFA’s coordinated advocacy efforts.
New York Defeats Three Harmful Measures
• The Annual Cancellation Disclosure Mandate would have required fitness facilities to send annual disclosures to all members with annual agreements, reminding them of contract details and cancellation methods.
• The Total Price Advertising Mandate required facilities to advertise the full cost of membership, including all recurring and optional fees, regardless of how services are billed or structured.
• The Biometric Surveillance Ban threatened to disrupt widely used security and convenience technologies, potentially undermining member experience while increasing front-desk staffing needs and creating access delays during peak hours.
Illinois Victories Protect Innovation and Flexibility
In Illinois, the HFA successfully defeated two proposals through coordinated advocacy that included strategic partnerships with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
• The Total Price Advertising Mandate in Illinois mirrored the New York proposal, requiring facilities to advertise full membership costs, including all fees, regardless of billing structure.
• The Cold Spa Temperature Restrictions would have rendered cold plunge recovery tools ineffective, particularly as temperatures naturally rise with each user.
Industry-Wide Impact
The successful defeat of these five proposals across two major states represents a significant win for the entire fitness industry. Similar proposals are being introduced in other states, which the HFA policy team will continue to monitor.
Some of these US state proposals are similar to regulations and laws that are proposed in other countries. The HFA policy team encourages global operators to utilize the HFA advocacy playbook to help defeat these measures in their countries.
The HFA advocacy team would like to thank HFA members and allied groups from Illinois and New York who assisted in engaging with legislators. The voices of local business owners are a powerful force when taking collective action.
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Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading Health & Fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues and news that impact the industry.
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