IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8128 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 29), 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation 

AN ACT 

To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a pilot program to explore the use of artificial intelligence in support of the mission of the Commission 

and direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Federal 

Trade Commission to study and report on the use of 

blockchain technology and digital tokens, respectively. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Consumer Safety Technology Act’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

TITLE I—ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CONSUMER PRODUCT 

SAFETY 

Sec. 101. Short title. 

Sec. 102. Pilot program for use of artificial intelligence by Consumer Product 

Safety Commission. 

TITLE II—BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION 

Sec. 201. Short title. 

Sec. 202. Study on blockchain technology and its use in consumer protection. 

TITLE III—DIGITAL TOKEN TAXONOMY 

Sec. 301. Short title. 

Sec. 302. Findings. 

Sec. 303. Reports on unfair or deceptive acts or practices in transactions relating to digital tokens. 

8 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act— 

10 (1) the term ‘‘consumer product’’ has the 

11 meaning given such term in section 3(a) of the Con12 sumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2052(a)); and 

13 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

14 of Commerce. 


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1 TITLE I—ARTIFICIAL INTEL2 LIGENCE AND CONSUMER 

3 PRODUCT SAFETY 

4 SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 

5 This title may be cited as the ‘‘AI for Consumer 

6 Product Safety Act’’. 

7 SEC. 102. PILOT PROGRAM FOR USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTEL8 LIGENCE BY CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

9 COMMISSION. 

10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 

11 the date of enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product 

12 Safety Commission shall establish a pilot program to ex13 plore the use of artificial intelligence by the Commission 

14 in support of the consumer product safety mission of the 

15 Commission. 

16 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the pilot pro17 gram established under subsection (a), the Commission 

18 shall do the following: 

19 (1) Use artificial intelligence for at least 1 of 

20 the following purposes: 

21 (A) Tracking trends with respect to inju22 ries involving consumer products. 

23 (B) Identifying consumer product hazards. 

24 (C) Monitoring the retail marketplace (in25 cluding internet websites) for the sale of reVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:58 Oct 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8128.RFS H8128

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1 called consumer products (including both new 

2 and used products). 

3 (D) Identifying consumer products re4 quired by section 17(a) of the Consumer Prod5 uct Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2066(a)) to be re6 fused admission into the customs territory of 

7 the United States. 

8 (2) Consult with the following: 

9 (A) Technologists, data scientists, and ex10 perts in artificial intelligence and machine 

11 learning. 

12 (B) Cybersecurity experts. 

13 (C) Members of the retail industry. 

14 (D) Consumer product manufacturers. 

15 (E) Consumer product safety organiza16 tions. 

17 (F) Any other person the Commission con18 siders appropriate. 

19 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the conclusion of the pilot program established under 

21 subsection (a), the Consumer Product Safety Commission 

22 shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

23 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

24 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 

25 and make publicly available on the website of the CommisVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:58 Oct 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8128.RFS H8128

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1 sion, a report on the findings and data derived from such 

2 program, including whether and the extent to which the 

3 use of artificial intelligence improved the ability of the 

4 Commission to advance the consumer product safety mis5 sion of the Commission. 

6 TITLE II—BLOCKCHAIN 

7 TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION 

8 SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 

9 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Blockchain Innovation 

10 Act’’. 

11 SEC. 202. STUDY ON BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AND ITS 

12 USE IN CONSUMER PROTECTION. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

14 (1) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than one 

15 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

16 Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the 

17 Federal Trade Commission, and in consultation with 

18 the any other appropriate Federal agency the Sec19 retary determines appropriate, shall conduct a study 

20 on current and potential use of blockchain tech21 nology in commerce and the potential benefits of 

22 blockchain technology for limiting fraud and other 

23 unfair and deceptive acts and practices. 

24 (2) REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDY.—In con25 ducting the study, the Secretary shall examine— 


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1 (A) trends in the commercial use of and 

2 investment in blockchain technology; 

3 (B) best practices in facilitating public-pri4 vate partnerships in blockchain technology; 

5 (C) potential benefits and risks of 

6 blockchain technology for consumer protection; 

7 (D) how blockchain technology can be used 

8 by industry and consumers to reduce fraud and 

9 increase the security of commercial trans10 actions; 

11 (E) areas in Federal regulation of 

12 blockchain technology that greater clarity would 

13 encourage domestic innovation: and 

14 (F) any other relevant observations or rec15 ommendations related to blockchain technology 

16 and consumer protection. 

17 (3) PUBLIC COMMENT.—In producing the study 

18 required in subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall 

19 provide opportunity for public comment and advice 

20 relevant to the production of the study. 

21 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 6 

22 months after the completion of the study required pursu23 ant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 

24 Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 

25 Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 


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1 Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and make pub2 licly available on the website of the Department of Com3 merce, a report that contains the results of the study con4 ducted under subsection (a). 

5 TITLE III—DIGITAL TOKEN 

6 TAXONOMY 

7 SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE. 

8 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Digital Taxonomy 

9 Act’’. 

10 SEC. 302. FINDINGS. 

11 Congress finds that— 

12 (1) it is important that the United States re13 mains a leader in innovation; 

14 (2) digital tokens and blockchain technology are 

15 driving innovation and providing consumers with in16 creased choice and convenience; 

17 (3) the use of digital tokens and blockchain 

18 technology is likely to increase in the future; 

19 (4) the Federal Trade Commission is respon20 sible for protecting consumers from unfair or decep21 tive acts or practices, including relating to digital to22 kens; 

23 (5) the Commission has previously taken action 

24 against unscrupulous companies and individuals that 


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1 committed unfair or deceptive acts or practices in2 volving digital tokens; and 

3 (6) to bolster the Commission’s ability to en4 force against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in5 volving digital tokens, the Commission should ensure 

6 staff have appropriate training and resources to 

7 identify and pursue such cases. 

8 SEC. 303. REPORTS ON UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR 

9 PRACTICES IN TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO 

10 DIGITAL TOKENS. 

11 Not later than one year after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act and each year thereafter until fiscal year 2024, 

13 the Federal Trade Commission shall transmit to the Com14 mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep15 resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

16 and Transportation of the Senate, and make publicly 

17 available on its website, a report of— 

18 (1) any actions taken by the Commission relat19 ing to unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trans20 actions relating to digital tokens; 

21 (2) the Commission’s other efforts to prevent 

22 unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to dig23 ital tokens; and 


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1 (3) any recommendations by the Commission 

2 for legislation that would improve the ability of the 

3 Commission and other relevant Federal agencies— 

4 (A) to further protect consumers from un5 fair or deceptive acts or practices in the digital 

6 token marketplace; and 

7 (B) to promote competition and promote 

8 innovation in the global digital token sector. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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