Federal Trade Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Trade Commission (the ``Commission'' or ``FTC'') is amending its Telemarketing Sales Rule (``TSR'') by updating the fees charged to entities accessing the National Do Not Call Registry (the ``Registry'') as required by the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007.

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, 2012, the current PRA clearance requirements contained in the FTC

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 complaint and the terms of the consent order embodied in the consent agreement that 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 complaint and the terms of the consent order embodied in the consent agreement that would settle these allegations.

The FTC re-opens the time period for filing public comments in response to its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comments for sixty (60) days.

On April 21, 2009, the Commission published a Federal Register document soliciting public comment in connection with its review of the Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations (``Cooling-Off Rule'' or ``Rule''). On June 22, 2009, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Consumers Union, and the National Consumer Law Center filed a joint letter requesting the Commission to extend the comment period for an additional sixty days. In response to this joint request, the Commission has decided to reopen the comment period for all interested parties for sixty days.

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 complaint and the terms of the consent order embodied in the consent agreement that would settle these allegations.

The FTC seeks public comments on proposed information requests to depository institutions lacking federal deposit insurance. The FTC plans to use this information to help ensure that such institutions are complying with the disclosure requirements of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA). The FTC will consider comments before it submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

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 complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, NCUA, and FTC (Agencies) request comment to gather information that would assist the Agencies in considering the development of a possible proposed addition to the furnisher accuracy and integrity guidelines that were issued in today's Federal Register. Those guidelines, along with the accompanying regulations, implement the accuracy and integrity provisions in section 312 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) that amended section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) seeks to obtain information that would assist the Agencies in determining whether it would be appropriate to propose an addition to one of the guidelines that would delineate the circumstances under which a furnisher would be expected to provide an account opening date to a consumer reporting agency to promote the integrity of the information. In addition, the Agencies request comment more broadly on whether furnishers should be expected to provide any other types of information to a consumer reporting agency in order to promote integrity.

In a Federal Register notice published on April 24, 2009, 74 FR 18712, the FTC announced a workshop, to be held June 1, 2009, in the rulemaking proceeding to amend the Rule on Disclosure Requirements and Prohibitions Concerning Business Opportunities, 16 CFR Part 437 (``The Business Opportunity Rule''). Among other things, the Notice stated that workshop comments would be accepted until June 15, 2009. In response to a request received on June 11, 2009, for an extension of the comment period, the Commission has extended the workshop comment period until June 29, 2009.

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 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 complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The FTC intends to conduct two exploratory studies on consumer susceptibility to fraudulent and deceptive marketing. This research will be conducted to further the FTC's mission of protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive marketing. Before gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed research. This notice seeks comments on the Fraud Susceptibility Experiment Study, one of the two studies. The Commission is also seeking comments on the other study in a separate Federal Register notice. Comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

President Obama signed the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act on March 11, 2009. Section 626 of the Act directed the Commission to initiate, within 90 days of the date of enactment, a rulemaking proceeding with respect to mortgage loans. To implement the Act, the Commission has commenced a rulemaking proceeding in two parts. This Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), the Mortgage Acts and

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS and NCUA published in the Federal Register final rules to implement the affiliate marketing provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) on November 7, 2007. The Commission published its final affiliate marketing rule on October 30, 2007. The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, NCUA and the Commission (Agencies) published in the Federal Register final rules

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 complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The FTC is amending Rules 3.1, 3.25, 3.31(g), and 4.2, and rescinding Rule 3.11A, of its Rules of Practice, 16 CFR Parts 3 and 4. Other than these revisions, it is adopting as final all other amendments to the Part 3 and Part 4 Rules that were published as interim final rules on January 13, 2009. 74 Fed. Reg. 1804.

On July 21, 2008, the Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') published a Federal Register notice soliciting public comments in connection with its review of the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule (``Used Car Rule'' or ``Rule'').\1\ The notice stated that comments must be received by September 19, 2008. The Commission subsequently extended the time within which to submit comments until November 19, 2008.\2\ On March 17, 2009, the Commission received supplemental comments from the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Independent Dealers Association responding to comments made by other interested parties during the comment period. In response to those comments and to provide all interested parties with the same opportunity to comment, the Commission has decided to reopen the comment period for forty-five days.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is planning to hold a public workshop relating to the March 26, 2008 Revised Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``RNPR'') that announced proposed changes to the trade regulation rule entitled ``Business Opportunity Rule,'' 16 CFR Part 437 (the ``Rule''). The workshop will explore issues relating to the effectiveness of the proposed revised Business Opportunities Disclosure Form attached to this Notice as a means of conveying material information to prospective purchasers of business opportunities. The workshop is also anticipated to develop the record related to certain issues raised in the comments received in response to the RNPR.

Pursuant to Section 811 of Subtitle B of Title VIII of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (``EISA''),\1\ the Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'' or ``FTC'') is issuing a Revised Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``RNPRM''). The revised proposed Rule in this RNPRM would prohibit any person, directly or indirectly, in connection with the purchase or sale of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum distillates at wholesale, from knowingly engaging in any act, practice, or course of businessincluding the making of any untrue statement of material factthat operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any person, or intentionally failing to state a material fact that under the circumstances renders a statement made by such person misleading, provided that such omission distorts or tends to distort market conditions for any such product. Violations of the revised proposed Rule, if such Rule is adopted, would require proof by a preponderance of the evidence. Anyone violating an FTC rule promulgated under Section 811 of EISA, such as this revised proposed Rule would be if adopted, may face civil penalties of up to $1 million per violation per day, in addition to any relief available to the Commission under the Federal Trade Commission Act (``FTC Act'').\2\ The Commission invites written comments on issues raised by the revised proposed Rule and seeks answers to the specific questions set forth in Section IV.I. of this RNPRM.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the ``Recovery Act'' or ``the Act''), the Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'') or (``Commission'') must issue rules requiring vendors of personal health records and related entities to notify individuals when the security of their individually identifiable health information is breached. Accordingly, the FTC seeks comment on a proposed rule.

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 April 30, 2012, the current PRA clearance for information collection requirements contained in the Pay-Per-Call Rule (``Rule''). That clearance expires on April 30, 2009 (OMB Control No. 3084-0102).