Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act

Bill: 110-hr-1910
Sponsor: Rep. Michaud, Michael H. [D-ME-2]
Introduced: 2007-04-18 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Child labor
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Collective bargaining
Commerce
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Directories
Employee rights
Expedited congressional procedure
Export controls
Families
Federal Trade Commission
Forced labor
Freedom of association
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government procurement
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Health
Hours of labor
House rules and procedure
Human rights
Import restrictions
Independent regulatory commissions
Injunctions
International Affairs
Investors
Labor and Employment
Labor unions
Law
Legal fees
Legislative resolutions
Minimum wages
Occupational health and safety
Parties to actions
President and foreign policy
Prison labor
Restrictive trade practices
Retail trade
Senate rules and procedure
Slavery

Summary:
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: 
Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise the prohibition on importing convict-made goods into the United States to make it unlawful to: (1) import into, or export from, the United States any sweatshop good; or (2) introduce into commerce, sell, trade, or advertise in commerce, offer to sell, or transport or distribute in U.S. commerce, any sweatshop good.
 
Grants the President, for reasons of national interest, authority to recommend waiver of the applications set forth in this Act in connection with the goods of any country with respect to one or more of the principles and rights defined in this Act as a core labor standard.
 
Sets forth procedures for consideration of such a waiver.
 
Makes it unlawful for persons to introduce into commerce, sell, trade, or advertise in commerce, offer to sell or transport or distribute in commerce any sweatshop good.
 
Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce this prohibition as if it were an unfair or deceptive act or practice proscribed under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
 
Allows specified persons with standing to bring a civil action in U.S. district courts against sellers of goods, wares, articles, or merchandise on grounds of a violation of such prohibition. Lists those with standing.
 
Prohibits executive agencies and the Armed Forces from entering into procurement contracts for sweatshop goods.
 
Prohibits anything in this Act from being construed to preempt a state from regulating labor standards required in the mining, production, or manufacture of merchandise purchased by the state.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
action_date: 2007-04-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, Rules, Energy and Commerce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Introduced in House