Transparency in Online Retailing Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1711 To require online retailers to disclose the country of origin of products imported into the United States, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 4, 2019 Mr. MERKLEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require online retailers to disclose the country of origin of products imported into the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transparency in On- 4 line Retailing Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN BY ONLINE 6 RETAILERS. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—A person that, through an inter- 8 net website, sells an article of foreign origin imported into 9 the United States shall mark in a conspicuous place on 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:50 Jun 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1711.IS S1711 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1711 IS that website, and in the same language that is used on 1 the rest of that website, the name of the country of origin 2 of that article. 3 (b) ENFORCEMENT.— 4 (1) UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRAC- 5 TICES.—A violation of subsection (a) shall be treated 6 as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or decep- 7 tive act or practice prescribed under section 8 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act 9 (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)). 10 (2) POWERS OF FEDERAL TRADE COMMIS- 11 SION.— 12 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Trade 13 Commission shall enforce this Act in the same 14 manner, by the same means, and with the same 15 jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all 16 applicable terms and provisions of the Federal 17 Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) 18 were incorporated into and made a part of this 19 Act. 20 (B) PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES.—Any 21 person that violates subsection (a) shall be sub- 22 ject to the penalties, and entitled to the privi- 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:50 Jun 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1711.IS S1711 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1711 IS leges and immunities, provided in the Federal 1 Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:50 Jun 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1711.IS S1711 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS