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CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS LABELING OF IMPORTED

FABRICS

MONDAY, MAY 10, 1971

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND FINANCE,

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in roo 2322, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. John E. Moss (chai man) presiding.

Mr. Moss. The subcommittee will be in order.

This morning the Subcommittee on Commerce and Finance is hol ing hearings on H.R. 6143. This bill was introduced by our colleag from Ohio, Mr. Wayne Hays, who will be our first witness.

Under the bill it would be unlawful to sell any textile product commerce which was made in whole or in part of fibers, yarn, fabrics in any section outside of the United States, unless the text product bears a tag or label setting forth laundering or cleani instructions. The bill is somewhat similar to trade regulations r proposed by the Federal Trade Commission in 1969. The Comm sion-proposed rules, however, would apply on all textile produ It is my understanding that the Commission has held hearings on proposed trade regulation rules but has taken no final action there We shall also hear from the spokesman from the Commission (The text of H.R. 6143 follows:)

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92D CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

H. R. 6143

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 16, 1971

Mr. HAYS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce

A BILL

To require that certain textile products bear a label containing cleaning instructions.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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SECTION 1. For purposes of this Act:

(1) The term "textile product" means any commodity, 5 made in whole or in part of fibers, yarn, or fabric manufac6 tured or processed outside the United States, which com7 modity is intended for sale or resale, in the form 8 manufactured, to consumer-purchasers.

9 (2) The term "laundering and cleaning instructions" 10 includes information with respect to dry cleaning and press

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1 ing; washing, drying, and ironing; or other applicable pro2 cedures used to clean a particular textile product.

3 SEC. 2. It is an unfair method of competition and an 4 unfair or deceptive act or practice to sell any textile prod5 uct in commerce or to import any textile product into the 6 United States which does not have a label or tag perma7 nently affixed or attached thereto which accurately and 8 clearly discloses laundering and cleaning instructions for 9 such product which, if not followed, may result in the im10 pairment of its utility or appearance.

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SEC. 3. (a) The Federal Trade Commission shall prescribe such orders and rules as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

(b) The Federal Trade Commission is authorized and 15 directed to prevent any person from violating the provisions 16 of this Act in the same manner, by the same means, and 17 with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though 18 all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade 19 Commission Act were incorporated into and made a part 20 of this Act; and any person violating the provisions of 21 this Act shall be subject to the penalties and entitled to 22 the privileges and immunities provided in the Federal Trade 23 Commission Act as though the applicable terms and pro24 visions of the Federal Trade Commission Act were incorpo25 rated into and made a part of this Act.

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1 SEC. 4. Any textile product the importation of which 2 is made unlawful by section 2 of this Act shall be subject 3 to seizure and forfeiture under the custom laws of the 4 United States in the hands of the importer, his agent, or 5 any other person knowing or having reason to know of 6 such unlawful importation.

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SEC. 5. Section 2 of this Act shall take effect on 8 the first day of the sixth calendar month beginning after 9 the date of enactment of this Act.

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