FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 19801 [Public Law 96–252, 94 Stat. 374, May 28, 1980] [As amended through Public Law 98-620, November 8, 1984] AN ACT To amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to extend the authorization of appropriations contained in such Act, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. [15 U.S.C. 58 note] This Act may be cited as the "Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act of 1980". RESTRICTION OF COMMISSION AUTHORITY UNDER LANHAM SEC. 18. [15 U.S.C. 57c note] The Federal Trade Commission shall not have any authority to use any funds which are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) for fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, under section 24 of such Act, as amended by section 17 and as so redesignated in section 13, for the purpose of taking any action under section 14 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other purposes" (15 U.S.C. 1064), commonly referred to as the Lanham Trademark Act, with respect to the cancellation of the registration of any mark on the ground that such mark has become the common descriptive name of an article or substance. RESTRICTION OF COMMISSION REGULATION OF FUNERAL INDUSTRY SEC. 19. [15 U.S.C. 57a note] (a) For purposes of this section: (1) The term "Commission" means the Federal Trade Commission. (2) The term "funeral trade regulation rule" means the proposed trade regulation rule which was published in the Federal Register of August 29, 1975, beginning at page 39901, and which relates to the regulation of funeral industry practices. (b) Except as provided in subsection (c), the Federal Trade Commission shall not have any authority to use any funds which are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal Trade 1Sections 2 through 17 of this Act made amendments to the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) for fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, under section 24 of such Act, as amended by section 17 and as so redesignated in section 13, to issue— (1) the funeral trade regulation rule in final form; or (2) any other trade regulation rule, in proposed or final form, which sets forth rules substantially similar to the rules set forth in the funeral trade regulation rule. (c)(1) The Commission shall have authority to use the funds specified in subsection (b) to issue the funeral trade regulation rule in final form only to the extent that the funeral trade regulation rule (in its final form)— (A) requires persons, partnerships, and corporations furnishing goods and services relating to funerals to disclose the fees or prices charged for such goods and services in a manner prescribed by the Commission; and (B) prohibits or prevents such persons, partnerships, and corporations from (i) engaging in any misrepresentation; (ii) engaging in any boycott against, or making any threat against, any other person, partnership, or corporation furnishing goods and services relating to funerals; (iii) conditioning the furnishing of any such goods or services to a consumer upon the purchase by such consumer of other such goods or services; or (iv) furnishing any such goods or services to a consumer for a fee without obtaining the prior approval of such consumer. (2)(A) The Commission, before issuing the funeral trade regulation rule in final form (i) shall publish in the Federal Register for public comment a revised version of the funeral trade regulation rule which contains the provisions specified in subparagraph (A) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1); (ii) shall allow interested persons to submit written data, views, and arguments relating to such revised version of the funeral trade regulation rule, and make all such submissions publicly available; and (iii) may permit interested persons, or, as appropriate, a single representative of each group of such persons having the same or similar interests with respect to such revised version of the funeral trade regulation rule, to present their position orally. (B) The requirements established in subparagraph (A) are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other requirements established in the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.), or in any other provision of law, and applicable to the promulgation of trade regulation rules by the Commission. The requirements established in subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to vacate or otherwise affect any proceedings conducted by the Commission before the date of the enactment of this Act with respect to the funeral trade regulation rule. (d) If, upon application to the Commission by an appropriate State agency, the Commission determines (pursuant to rules prescribed by the Commission) that— (1) there is in effect a State requirement which applies to any transaction to which this section applies; and (2) such State requirement affords an overall level of protection to consumers which is as great as, or greater than, the protection afforded by this section; then only such State requirement shall be applicable to the extent specified in such determination for so long as the State administers and enforces effectively any such State requirement. RESTRICTION OF COMMISSION AUTHORITY RELATING TO SEC. 20. [15 U.S.C. 57c note] (a) The Federal Trade Commission shall not have any authority to use any funds which are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) for fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, under section 24 of such Act, as amended by section 17 and as so redesignated in section 13, for the purpose of conducting any study, investigation, or prosecution of any agricultural cooperative for any conduct which, because of the provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize association of producers of agricultural products", approved February 18, 1922 (7 U.S.C. 291 et seq.), commonly known as the Capper-Volstead Act, is not a violation of any Federal antitrust Act or the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). (b) The Federal Trade Commission shall not have any authority to use any funds which are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) for fiscal year 1980, 1981, or 1982, under section 24 of such Act, as amended by section 17 and as so redesignated in section 13, for the purpose of conducting any study or investigation of any agricultural marketing orders. CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF RULES SEC. 21. [15 U.S.C. 57a-1] [Omitted.]1 OVERSIGHT HEARINGS SEC. 22. [15 U.S.C. 57a note] [Omitted.] 2 EFFECTIVE DATE SEC. 23. [15 U.S.C. 45 note] The provisions of this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. 1 Section 21(i) provided that the provisions of this section "shall cease to have any force or effect after September 30, 1982." Section 101(d) of Public Law 97-377, 96 Stat. 1870, December 21, 1982, provided that section 21 was effective until September 30, 1983. 2 Section 22 expired after fiscal year 1982. |