WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), has scheduled a full committee markup on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at 5 p.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building to consider five bills. Members will convene for opening statements only on Wednesday and reconvene Thursday, June 23, 2016, at 10 a.m.
The committee will consider four bills (comprised of 11 legislative initiatives) from the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) 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 the growth of emerging technologies. The series examined dramatic innovation within various industrial sectors and helped shaped many of the bills. The bills collectively seek to reform the FTC to make it more transparent to consumers, businesses, and better address emerging issues.
The full committee will also consider one bill from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), which would provide certainty for amateur radio operators living in communities governed by community associations.
The following bills will be considered:
Bills advancing from #SubCommTech:
H.R. 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015, authored by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), would;
* Instructs the FCC to adopt rules that protect the rights of amateur radio operators to use radio equipment in deed-restricted communities.
Bills advancing from #SubCMT:
H.R. 5510, the FTC Process and Transparency Reform Act, authored by #SubCMT Chairman Burgess, consolidates eight process and transparency reform bills, including;
* H.R. 5093, the Technological Innovation through Modernizing Enforcement (TIME) Act - sponsored by #SubCMT 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 (REPORTS) 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); and
* H.R. 5136, the Revealing Economic Conclusions for Suggestions (RECS) Act - sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo;
The bill would modernize the FTC by introducing additional transparency and clarifying consumer protection enforcement to promote investment and innovation.
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.
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 state laws.
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.
“We have been actively working to ensure our policies reflect 21st century realities - and this week we look to advance smart, targeted policies to boost amateur radio and modernize the FTC," said full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “We look to build upon our efforts to modernize government for the innovation era and protect consumers, investment, and jobs."
Electronic copies of the bills and a background memo can be found on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s website here. Amendments and votes will be available at the same link as they are posted.
