Pallone and Schakowsky on House Passage of Five Consumer Protection Bills
Apr 15, 2021
Press Release
Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following joint statement after the House of Representatives passed five consumer protection bills:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately increased instances of fraud, scams, and abuse targeting consumers. Today the House passed bipartisan legislation to help the Federal Trade Commission protect seniors and other targeted groups against predatory fraud and scams.
“The House also took bipartisan action to improve public education on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, including how to properly use carbon monoxide detectors. The legislation also includes grants to get more detectors to vulnerable Americans.
“Taken together, these bipartisan bills will help us protect consumers, and we thank our colleagues who worked with us to pass these important bills today.”
H.R. 1215, the “Fraud and Scam Reduction Act,” was introduced by Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Tim Walberg (R-MI). The legislation would establish a new Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Group to collect and implement best practices to stop scammers before they can cause harm, establish new programs to prevent fraud that targets seniors, and improve educational materials on scams targeting seniors. The legislation would also establish an office at the FTC dedicated to preventing fraud targeting seniors and monitoring the market for such fraud. The bill passed on the House Floor by a vote of 396-13.
H.R. 1460, the “Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021,” was introduced by Reps. Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA). The legislation would assist states in educating the public on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the proper use of carbon monoxide detectors. It would also provide states with grants to purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors in the homes of elderly and low-income citizens, as well as in educational facilities. The bill passed on the House Floor by a vote of 362-49.
H.R. 446, the “Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams Act,” was introduced by Reps. Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Troy Balderson (R-OH). The legislation would streamline the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) efforts to protect seniors from falling prey to scams during national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing a searchable database of scams targeting seniors. The bill passed on the House Floor by a vote of 413-8.
H.R. 1762, the “Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act,” was introduced by Reps. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ). The legislation would direct the FTC to consult with Indian Tribes about scams targeting members of Tribes and to issue a publicly available report to Congress. The legislation would also require the FTC to update its website to include information on these scams. The bill passed on the House Floor by a vote of 408-10.
H.R. 1766, the “FTC Collaboration Act of 2021,” was introduced by Reps. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) and Richard Hudson (R-NC). The legislation would help the FTC optimize its collaboration with state attorneys general by studying the matter and issuing a report on how to further promote collaboration. The bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
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