Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed, by voice vote, three bills that were voted out of the Subcommittee and Committee earlier this year:
“By passing these bills, the House is taking a strong step in protecting Americans-especially our children-from dangerous products and safeguarding consumers from overseas scams. These bills will save lives and strengthen the Federal Trade Commission’s ability to go after international fraudsters and scammers that target Americans. We must protect our children from dangerous products like inclined sleepers and crib bumpers that should no longer be on the market, and we hope the Senate takes up these bills immediately."
The House passed the following bills:
H.R. 4779, a bill to extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers Beyond Borders Act of 2006, and for other purposes, was introduced by Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). This legislation reauthorizes the U.S. SAFE WEB Act, which improved the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ability to combat unfair or deceptive acts or practices that are international in scope, through Fiscal Year 2027 and requires the FTC to issue a report to Congress describing the Commission’s use of and experience with the authority granted by the Act.
H.R. 2647, the “Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act" or “SOFFA," introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), adopts the California upholstered furniture flammability standard as a national flammability standard for upholstered furniture to limit exposure to toxic flame retardant chemicals.
H.R. 3172, the “Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019," introduced by Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), designates inclined sleepers for infants as banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The bill was amended to include the text of H.R. 3170, the “Safe Cribs Act of 2019," introduced by Schakowsky, which also designates crib bumpers as banned hazardous products.
