WASHINGTON, DC - The Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D (R-TX) today advanced four bills to modernize the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the 21st century. Over the past year the subcommittee’s Disrupter Series has provided an opportunity for the committee to understand how federal policies help and hinder economic growth of emerging technologies. The series examined the dramatic innovation within various industrial sectors and helped shaped many of the bills. The bills advanced today seek to reform the FTC to make it more transparent to consumers, businesses, and better address emerging issues.
QUOTABLE:
“On the whole, this set of reforms will increase transparency, improve Congressional oversight and thus better protect consumers. We must ensure that consumers are protected from unfair or deceptive acts or practices, while safeguarding access to low-cost and innovative products," said Chairman Burgess. “Innovation and transparency will be the hallmarks that help us realize the potential of all of the disruptive technology created in our country. These bills are a measured step forward."
“An ongoing focus for the Enbergy and Commerce Committee has been to modernize government for the innovation era as too many of our laws and regulations have failed to keep pace. Taken together, our process reform bills would give companies a clearer picture of their responsibilities under the FTC Act. Greater legal certainty leads to better enforcement of consumer protections, investment, and jobs," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI).
LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS:
PASSED 12 to 8: H.R.___, the FTC Process and Transparency Reform Act, authored by Chairman Burgess, consolidates eight process and transparency reform bills examined during the subcommittee hearing. including:
H.R. 5093, the Technological Innovation through Modernizing Enforcement (TIME) Act - sponsored by Chairman Burgess
H.R. 5097, the Start Taking Action on Lingering Liabilities (STALL) Act - sponsored by Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN)
H.R. 5098, the FTC Robust Elderly Protections and Organizational Requirements to Track Scams Act - sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
H.R. 5109, the Clarifying Legality and Enforcement Action Reasoning (CLEAR) Act - sponsored by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY)
H.R. 5115, the Statement on Unfairness Reinforcement and Emphasis (SURE) Act - sponsored by Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)
H.R. 5116, the Freeing Responsible and Effective Exchanges (FREE) Act - sponsored by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX)
H.R. 5118, the Solidifying Habitual and Institutional Explanations of Liability and Defenses (SHIELD) Act - sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS)
H.R. 5136, the Revealing Economic Conclusions for Suggestions (RECS) Act - sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS).
PASSED BY VOICE: H.R. 5111, the Consumer Review Fairness Act, authored by subcommittee Vice Chairman Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ), would;
* Prohibit gag clauses preventing consumers from publishing truthful reviews and authorize the FTC and states to enforce the Act with civil penalties.
PASSED BY VOICE: H.R. 5092, the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act of 2016, authored by committee member Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), would;
* Establish that the FTC’s authority over Made in USA labeling is the single, national standard, preventing a patchwork of laws around the nation.
PASSED BY VOICE: H.R. 5104, Better On-line Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016, authored by full committee Vice Chairman Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would;
* Empower the FTC to stop software used to buy up swaths of event tickets over defense measures put in place by ticket sellers.
See Also
* #SubCMT Works to Put Innovation First
