Consumer Equity Protection Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4460 | Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Robin L. (D-IL)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Consumer Equity Protection Act of 2021
This bill establishes a task force within the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the commission on matters related to equity in consumer protection.
The task force also must collaborate with relevant agencies to (1) monitor the market for unfair and deceptive acts targeting or affecting specified consumers or groups of consumers, and (2) educate the public about such acts.
Finally, the task force must support the processing of complaints involving unfair and deceptive acts.

To establish a task force within the Federal Trade Commission to advise 
 on equity issues in the protection of consumers and to prevent unfair 
and deceptive acts or practices targeting or affecting consumers on the 
     basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, and other protected characteristics, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Consumer Equity Protection Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment of Task Force.--The Chairman of the Federal Trade 
Commission shall establish a task force within the Bureau of Consumer 
Protection (in this section referred to as the ``task force'') for the 
purpose of advising the Commission on equity issues in the protection 
of consumers and to assist the Commission with the following:
            (1) Oversight.--The task force shall collaborate with other 
        Commission staff and monitor the market for unfair and 
        deceptive acts and practices targeting or affecting specific 
        consumers or groups of consumers on the basis of race, color, 
        religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, 
        age, and other protected characteristics and shall coordinate 
        with other relevant agencies as appropriate regarding the 
        requirements of this section.
            (2) Consumer education.--The task force shall collaborate 
        with other relevant agencies, as appropriate, and support 
        Bureau of Consumer Protection staff in assisting the Commission 
        to--
                    (A) disseminate broadly in a manner available to 
                all general information on unfair and deceptive acts 
                and practices targeting or affecting specific consumers 
                or groups of consumers on the basis of race, color, 
                religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, 
                disability, age, and other protected characteristics, 
                including descriptions of the most common unfair or 
                deceptive acts or practices;
                    (B) disseminate broadly, in a manner available to 
                all, information on reporting complaints of unfair and 
                deceptive acts and practices targeting or affecting 
                specific consumers or groups of consumers on the basis 
                of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual 
                orientation, disability, age, and other protected 
                characteristics, to the national toll-free telephone 
                number established by the Commission for reporting such 
                complaints and to ReportFraud.ftc.gov (or another 
                appropriate website operated by the Commission, as 
                determined by the Chairman of the Commission), where 
                such complaints will become available to applicable law 
                enforcement agencies, including the Department of 
                Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the 
                attorneys general of the States;
                    (C) provide publicly available information of 
                enforcement actions taken by the Commission related to 
                unfair and deceptive acts and practices targeting or 
                affecting specific consumers or groups of consumers on 
                the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national 
                origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other 
                protected characteristics;
                    (D) maintain a website to serve as a resource for 
                information for the general public regarding unfair and 
                deceptive acts and practices targeting or affecting 
                specific consumers or groups of consumers on the basis 
                of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual 
                orientation, disability, age, and other protected 
                characteristics; and
                    (E) make available the publicly available 
                information described in subparagraph (C) and the 
                website described in subparagraph (D) in English and, 
                to the extent practicable, in Spanish and any other 
                relevant language.
            (3) Complaints.--The task force shall collaborate, as 
        appropriate, and support Bureau of Consumer Protection staff in 
        assisting the Commission to--
                    (A) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints 
                by individuals who believe they have been a victim of 
                unfair and deceptive acts and practices in the Consumer 
                Sentinel Network, and shall make those complaints 
                available to applicable Federal, State, and local law 
                enforcement authorities; and
                    (B) to the extent practicable and consistent with 
                existing law, provide to individuals described in 
                subparagraph (A), and to any other persons, specific 
                and general information on unfair and deceptive acts 
                and practices targeting or affecting specific consumers 
                or groups of consumers on the basis of race, color, 
                religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, 
                disability, age, and other protected characteristics, 
                including the most common such unfair or deceptive acts 
                or practices.
    (b) Commission Defined.--In this section, the term ``Commission'' 
means the Federal Trade Commission.
    (c) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on the date 
that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>