Federal Trade Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is rescinding its Statements of General Policy or Interpretations Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (``FCRA''). Recent legislation transferred authority to issue interpretive guidance under the FCRA to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (``CFPB'').

The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'' or ``FTC'') is amending the Hart-Scott-Rodino (``HSR'') Premerger Notification Rules (the ``Rules''), the Premerger Notification and Report Form (the ``Form'') and associated Instructions in order to streamline the Form and capture new information that will help the FTC and the Antitrust Division, Department of Justice (together the ``Agencies'') conduct their initial review of a proposed transaction's competitive impact. The FTC is making substantive and ministerial revisions, deletions and additions to streamline the Form and make it easier to prepare while focusing the Form on those categories of information the Agencies consider necessary for their initial review. The FTC is also amending certain Rules and parts of the Form and Instructions, as well as adding Items 4(d), 6(c)(ii) and 7(d), in order to capture additional information that would significantly assist the Agencies in their initial review. Finally, minor changes are being made to address minor omissions from the FTC's 2005 rulemaking involving unincorporated entities and to remove the reference to the 2001 transition period.

As part of the Commission=s systematic review of all current FTC rules and guides, the Commission requests public comment on the overall costs, benefits, necessity, and regulatory and economic impact of the FTC's Rule on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel and Certain Piece Goods as Amended (``Care Labeling Rule'' or ``Rule''). The Commission also requests comment on whether it should modify the Rule's provision permitting the use of care symbols or modify the Rule to address either the disclosure of care instructions in languages other than English or the practice of professional wetcleaning.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') gives notice that it is postponing any amendments to its Guide Concerning Fuel Economy Advertising for New Automobiles (``Fuel Economy Guide'' or ``Guide'') pending completion of ongoing review by the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (``NHTSA'') of current fuel economy labeling requirements and the Commission's accelerated regulatory review of its own Labeling Requirements for Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fueled Vehicles Rule (``Alternative Fuels Rule'').

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis To Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through October 31, 2014, the current PRA clearance for information collection requirements contained in the Commission's Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Privacy Rule (``GLB Privacy Rule'' or ``Rule''). The current clearance expires on October 31, 2011.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through September 30, 2014 the current Paperwork Reduction Act clearance for information collection requirements contained in its Funeral Industry Practice Rule (``Funeral Rule'' or ``Rule''). That clearance expires on September 30, 2011.

The FTC and DOJ (the ``Agencies'') are proposing an enforcement policy regarding the application of the antitrust laws to health care collaborations among otherwise independent providers and provider groups, formed after March 23, 2010, the date on which the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted, that seek to participate, or have otherwise been approved to participate, as accountable care organizations (ACOs) under the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Section 3022 of the Affordable Care Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-48 (2010) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Public Law 111-52 (2010)).

The Commission extends the effective date for its new light bulb labeling requirements to January 1, 2012, to provide manufacturers with additional compliance time. In addition, the Commission exempts from the new label requirements incandescent bulbs that will not be produced after January 1, 2013, due to Federal efficiency standards.

The Commission issues final amendments to its Rule for Automotive Fuel Ratings, Certification and Posting (``Fuel Rating Rule'' or ``Rule'') by allowing an alternative octane rating method and making other miscellaneous revisions. The Commission declines to issue final ethanol labeling amendments at this time.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The FTC announces that it will hold a public workshop on April 28, 2011, to address consumer protection issues that have arisen as debt collectors avail themselves of advances in technology. The workshop will explore developments in technology that debt collectors use to gather, store, and manage information about consumers; to comply with the law; to communicate with consumers; and to receive payment. The workshop will provide an opportunity for government regulators, industry members, technologists, consumer advocates, and researchers, to discuss the costs and benefits of these technologies for debt collectors and consumers. It will also address whether and how collectors may use such technologies consistent with applicable laws, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act, what consumer protection concerns arise from use of these technologies, and what actions, if any, the Commission and other policymakers should take to respond to those concerns. This notice poses a series of questions on which the Commission seeks comment. The event is open to the public, and there is no fee for attendance. For admittance to the workshop, all attendees will be required to show a valid form of government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license. Additional information about the workshop will be posted on the FTC's Web site at: https:// www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/debtcollectiontech/index.shtml. Date and Location: The workshop will be held on April 28, 2011, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Federal Trade Commission's Satellite Building Conference Center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. Workshop Agenda: Additional information, including an agenda and panelist biographies, will be posted on the FTC's Web site at https:// www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/debtcollectiontech/index.shtml. Public Comments: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments electronically or in paper form, by following the instructions in the Instructions For Filing Comments part of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by using the following Web link: https:// ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/debtcollecttechworkshop, and following the instructions on the Web-based form. Comments in paper form should be mailed or delivered to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex F), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, in the manner detailed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. To be considered in preparation for the workshop, comments must be received by Thursday, April 7, 2011. However, comments will be accepted through Friday, May 27, 2011. Requests to Participate as Workshop Panelists: FTC staff will identify and invite individuals with relevant expertise to participate as panelists. In addition, the FTC staff may invite other persons to participate as panelists who submit requests in response to this Federal Register notice. Requests to participate as panelists in the workshop must be received on or before 5 p.m. EST, Tuesday, March 22, 2011. Persons filing requests to participate as panelists will be notified whether they have been selected on or before Wednesday, March 31, 2011. For further instructions, please see the ``Requests to Participate as Workshop Panelists'' section under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

On January 15, 2010, the Board and the Commission published final rules to implement the risk-based pricing provisions in section 311 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act), which amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The final rules generally require a creditor to provide a risk-based pricing notice to a consumer when the creditor uses a consumer report to grant or extend credit to the consumer on material terms that are materially less favorable than the most favorable terms available to a substantial proportion of consumers from or through that creditor. The Board and the Commission propose to amend their respective risk-based pricing rules to require disclosure of credit scores and information relating to credit scores in risk-based pricing notices if a credit score of the consumer is used in setting the material terms of credit. These proposed amendments reflect the new requirements in section 615(h) of the FCRA that were added by section 1100F of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The FTC is soliciting public comments on proposed information requests to beverage alcohol manufacturers. These comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, of compulsory process orders to alcohol advertisers. The compulsory process orders will seek information from those companies concerning, among other things, compliance with voluntary advertising placement provisions, sales and marketing expenditures, the status of third-party review of complaints regarding compliance with voluntary advertising codes and alcohol industry data collection practices.

The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through August 31, 2014, the current Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') clearance for information collection requirements contained in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (``COPPA Rule''), which will expire on August 31, 2011.

The Federal Trade Commission announces the revised thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 required by the 2000 amendment of Section 7A of the Clayton Act. Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a, as added by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, Public Law 94-435, 90 Stat. 1390 (``the Act''), requires all persons contemplating certain mergers or acquisitions, which meet or exceed the jurisdictional thresholds in the Act, to file notification with the Commission and the Assistant Attorney General and to wait a designated period of time before consummating such transactions. Section 7A(a)(2) requires the Federal Trade Commission to revise those thresholds annually, based on the change in gross national product, in accordance with Section 8(a)(5). The new thresholds, which take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, are as follows:

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through January 31, 2014, the current PRA clearance for information collection requirements contained in its Rule Governing Pre-Sale Availability of Written Warranty Terms. This clearance is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2011.