COOL Online Act

Bill: 118-hr-6299
Sponsor: Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28]
Introduced: 2023-11-08 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Aquaculture
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Computers and information technology
Consumer affairs
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Foreign and international corporations
Internet, web applications, social media
Meat
Prescription drugs
Seafood

Summary:
action_date: 2023-11-08
text: 

COOL Online Act

This bill requires online sellers of imported products to conspicuously disclose in online listings each product’s country of origin. The requirement generally applies to products that must be physically labeled with their country of origin under current law. Some agricultural products, food and drugs, and previously owned items are exempt, as are certain low-volume sellers. Listings for certain nonprescription drugs must include additional information currently required to be included on the drug’s packaging. 

The bill specifies that online stores and marketplaces are not liable for violations of these provisions where they provided third-party sellers or suppliers with notice of the requirement and means to post the required disclosure. (Under the bill, an 
online marketplace
 is a consumer-directed online platform that enables third parties to sell products to consumers.) An online marketplace retains liability where the marketplace itself sells a product, rather than facilitating a third-party sale. Sellers are not liable where an online marketplace did not provide them with notice of the requirement or means to post the required disclosure. 

The Federal Trade Commission must enter into an agreement with specified federal agencies with respect to implementation of these provisions. These provisions take effect one year after such an agreement is published. 

Separately, the bill adds cooked king crab and tanner crab and cooked and canned salmon to the list of seafood products for which retailers must inform consumers of the product’s country of origin at the final point of sale.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2024-12-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
action_date: 2024-03-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
action_date: 2024-03-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
action_date: 2023-11-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.
action_date: 2023-11-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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: 2023-11-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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: 2023-11-08
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, 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: 2023-11-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2023-11-08
text: Introduced in House