Markup of Twelve Pieces of Legislation

Good morning, everyone. And thank you for being here today. Today's mark-up brings together a dozen bills that reflect two of this uh committee's priorities. Protecting American consumers and strengthening America's competitiveness. I'm proud of the bipartisan work that has gone And to these important initiatives, American consumers deserve better protections in the marketplace, and these bills go a long way towards earning back consumers' trust. Excuse me. The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act is necessary to ensure that relevant federal agencies coordinate their efforts to identify emerging scams and develop strategies to prevent americans from becoming victims in the first place. ok we have to overcome the ticketing the main event the ticking act ticketing act builds on our prior work ticketing is our main goal because by cracking down on the bots and bad actors that have made buying a concert ticket feel like a uh

ok

like a rigged game really and when it comes to what's actually in the product's family uh families buy and what claim companies make about them, the pack act and the recycled materials uh attribution act uh bring much needed transparency to recycling claims. In addition to advancing proposals that protect consumers, we are also pushing back against the Chinese Communist Party. The chip equip act ensures that companies receive chips act funding aren't turning around and buying manufactured uh equipment from firms owned or controlled by the chinese government the memory chip competitiveness uh assessment act and the american quantum competitive uh act direct the commerce department to get serious about where our supply chains are vulnerable and how we uh out-compete china in the technologies that matter most finally the automotive national and economic security act shines a light on how deeply our auto industry's relationship with foreign adversaries go i look forward to moving these bills to the full committee and then to the house floor i wanna thank you all and i wanna thank all my colleagues on on both sides of the aisle who have worked diligently, and I want to thank the staff as well, to protect consumers and bolster American competitiveness. So I'll yield back and I'm gonna recognize Yes, yes, I'm gonna recognize Chairman Guthrie for his opening statement.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. Thank you for the recognition. Uh, good morning. Thank everybody for being here. Uh, American businesses and workers have built some of the most world's most important industries. and our economy and communities have benefited tremendously from that leadership. Maintaining America's edge requires an ongoing commitment to innovation, resilience, supply chains, and a marketplace where American businesses can compete on the world stage. That is why I am pleased we're advancing legislation that will help the United States at the forefront of these critical sectors. Two bills today focused on recycling, focused on recycling take a practical approach to strengthening to strengthen domestic manufacturing and support American businesses. Provide much needed clarity to consumers about the products they buy every day and establishing clear standards for recycling claims so we can better support the development of new innovative technologies. Both bills promote transparency, protect consumers, and give businesses greater certainty as they develop and market their products. Today we will also defend American businesses uh and and workers foreign burdensome regulatory mandates like the European Union's corporate sustainability due diligence directive. It's unthinkable that American businesses should be forced to comply with costly foreign regulations that duplicate at best or more likely conflict with US law. We are considering legislation focused on some of the technologies that will define our economic future such as open-source AI memory chips quantum and equipment needed for advanced manufacturing. Finally, we will also consider legislation that recognizes the strategic role of the automotive industry and the adverse impact of China on both car buyers and car producers. Taken together, these bills help us position American businesses and workers to compete and succeed in the industries that are shaping our future. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work on these important issues, and I do thank both sides for working hard to make as much of this as we can. Bipartisan has really been a rewarding work and I really appreciate it and I will yield back.

The chairman yields back and now I'll recognize the ranking member of the full committee, Mister Pallone, for his five minutes for an opening statement.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. Today we're considering legislation on everything from event ticketing to semi-conductors and I'm glad to see several bipartisan bills being included at today's mark-up, including bills that protect consumers from dangerous products, predatory scams, and unscrupulous ticketing practices as well as build strengthening america's global competitiveness representative malin's uh nitrous oxide safety act will end preventable deaths due to dangerous nitrous oxide products which are currently widely available at gas stations the strategic task force on scam prevention act sponsored by representatives menendez and hudger will bring a whole government approach to combating scams which continue to plague consumers particularly older americans And the Main Event Ticketing Act from representatives, uh, Carter of Louisiana and Harshberger, uh, brings a much needed update to our existing law addressing ticketing bots, strengthening it to put more tickets in the hands of real, real fans. And these bipartisan bills will help protect consumers. Meanwhile, the Memory Chip Competitive Assessment Act from Representative Soto and Miller-Meeks will shed light on how to address the current memory chip shortage which is raising prices for consumer devices. And the Automotive and Economic Security Act from representatives Dingell and Harshberger will clarify the extent to which US vehicle manufacturers are relying on China. Additionally, the Chip Equip Act will ensure that chips and science act dollars are not used to bolster our adversary's capacity. I support these three bills that will help strengthen our nation's global competitiveness. I do have concerns though, Mister Chairman, with two other partisan bills before us on American competitiveness in AI. and quantum. America must lead in these areas. But I can't support these bills in the current form, given vague language included in the legislation and open-ended authority they give to Commerce Secretary Letnick. I hope to continue engaging stakeholders on these bills and working across the aisle with my colleagues to reach a compromise, as I know we all wanna see America lead in AI as well as in quantum. I also can't support and am hard-pressed to see a path forward on other bills being considered as a smart-gum. The PACT Act and the Recycled Materials Attribution Act would increase consumer mistrust in recycling by greenlighting deceptive recycling labels and permitting inflated recycled content claims and if we're going to be setting recycling policy, the Environmental Protection Agency should be taking the lead, not the Federal Trade Commission. Meanwhile, the Protect USA Act forces American companies to choose between complying with European sustainability regulations or violating the act, which is an impossible choice. We should be focusing on working together with our allies to compete with China, not fighting one another. And finally, I was dismayed to see the Reset Act included on our agenda today. Not because we shouldn't always be thinking of how we can improve protections for kids, we should. But the amended Reset Act text offered today directly contradicts the bipartisan Kids Act, a comprehensive on-line safety package that we passed through the committee uh as well as the house on suspension so i'm concerned this bill will move us backward not forward on real solutions that can become law and with that uh mister chairman i yield back the balance of my time

gentleman yields back appreciate that the chair reminds members that pursuant to the committee rules all members' opening statements will be part of the record are there further opening statements Yes. Mister Molling, you're recognized for five minutes for your opening statement. Thirty minutes, actually, for your opening statement.

Thank you, Chair Bilirakis and Ranking Member Schakowsky, for including my bill, H R seventy nine, forty five, the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act, in today's mark-up. Too many families have been devastated by the impacts of nitrous oxide misuse. We need to end consumer sales of this dangerous and addictive substance. Inhaling the gas just once can lead to death or devastating health impacts that can change a person's life forever. I'd like to recognize the dozens of family members from across the country who have taken it upon themselves to organize and come to DC tomorrow for to advocate for passage of the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act. Some are parents and loved ones of the victims pictured behind me. By passing the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act, we can limit consumer access and help prevent families from experiencing the loss of a loved one due to nitrous oxide misuse. I'll have more to say on the topic later. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.

Appreciate that. Uh, anyone else on the Republican side that wishes to have an opening statement? Democratic side? Yes, you're recognized. You're recognized, Mr. Clark, for three minutes.

Thank you very much. Good morning and thank you once again, Chairman Bilirakis and Ranking Member Schakowsky. for holding uh this mark-up today. Wh- while I don't agree with every bill before our subcommittee today, I'm happy to see some bills put forth that would address real-world issues impacting consumers. Bills like the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act and the Main Event Ticketing Act provide essential protection for consumers who have fallen victim to complex or incessant scams or folks who pay higher ticketing prices when they have to fight bots for tickets to their favorite events. I applaud my colleagues who have taken up these initiatives, but we must also admit where government falls short. The Trump administration in their Project Twenty Twenty-Five handbook has systematically undermined the FTC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the very agencies set out to protect Americans from scams and ensure a fair market. For the last thirty years, the FTC has taken bipartisan action to protect Americans from deceptive practices, bringing cases against scammers who impersonate businesses or con artists who target senior citizens. It's simple. Consumer protection does not exist without the agencies equipped and ready to enforce. My Republican colleagues need to acknowledge

Now we'll go ahead and uh Now we'll go ahead and uh We'll call up HR one zero one z seven zero and ask the clerk to report.

H R one O one seventy, a bill to require the secretary of commerce to conduct a study on the

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Okay, uh why don't you if no one needs to be recognized? The Mister S- Mister Goldman. Oh yes, okay. Okay. Uh, mister uh mister Goldman, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. I speak in support of the Memory Chip Competitiveness Competitiveness Assessment Act led by my colleague, Miss Miller-Meeks and Mister Soto. Memory chips are foundational to the modern economy, powering everything from automobiles and medical devices to consumer electronics and industrial equipment. The rapid growth of AI is driving unprecedented demand for advanced memory chips. Recent supply constraints have threatened this critical industry and highlighted vulnerabilities in our semiconductor supply chains. The Memory Chip Competitiveness Assessment Act directs the Department of Commerce to evaluate the advanced memory chip market, looking at demand, prices, supply, shortages, trends, and the influence of countries of concern. It also requires Commerce to identify any laws or regulations that are slowing down the development and supply of these chips, and explore ways to fix them. This information will help policymakers strengthen American chip production build a more reliable supply chain, and reduce our dependence on risky foreign sources. I'm proud to support this bill and again I thank the sponsors for their bipartisan leadership on this important issue and I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I thank the gentleman, now I'll recognize Mister Soto for his uh for five minutes on this particular bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. America must continue to lead in the artificial intelligence race. Otherwise, our rivals will certainly fill in the void. The bipartisan Memory Chips Competitiveness Act with uh Representative Miller Meeks uh and I is trying to do just that, to help make sure we're continuing to be competitive in AI going forward. The pandemic exposed the US's lack of chip production capacity. Uh, we saw cars, computers, electronics all lacking chips uh over that period of time and um this committee came together in a bipartisan fashion to pass the chips act to boost that capacity. and research. We're proud in central Florida at NeoCity to develop aerospace and AI microchips, uh, and now we have this next generation of of efforts. The efforts to develop AI to de- and make sure we have enough advanced memory chips, uh, these are critical for the development of these supercomputers. They feed massive amounts of data to process information instantly. and prevent expensive computing cores from sitting idle. The US is facing a severe memory chip shortage for AI because domestic production of advanced high bandwidth memory, HBM, will not reach mass volume until late twenty twenty eight according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Our bill will help the US Department of Commerce to assess the the market here in the United States for the advanced memory chips and to report to Congress. It will help us boost capacity, find efficiencies, continue research and development, ensure our global competitiveness. And I'm proud to be able to help sponsor this important bipartisan bill. And I yield back.

The gentleman yields back. Any further discussion on the bill? Seeing none, are there any amendments to the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs, on forwarding hr one zero one seven O uh to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye

aye

those opposed say no ok the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee ok now we'll call up the chair calls up hr one zero one five eight and the uh and ask the clerk to report.

H R one O one fifty eight, a bill to require the secretary of commerce to conduct a study on the national and economic security risks.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Okay, uh.

I don't think Miss Miss Miss Dingell is here. That's Miss Dingell.

Is Miss Dingell here?

No.

Oh, OK. Alright. Anyone else need to be recognized on the bill? Any further discussion on the bill? Are there any amendments to the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs on forwarding HR one zero one five eight uh to the full committee. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it, the ayes have it, and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee. OK, the chair calls up HR one zero one five two and asks the clerk to report.

H R one O one five two, a bill to direct the secretary of commerce to support the adoption and use of the ownership.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. So, order. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Yes. Yes.

Chairman, we'll just strike last word.

You're recognized. You're recognized.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, and I'm proud to speak in strong support of my bill today, the Open Source AI Leadership Act. This legislation targets a serious problem. While American companies are leading the world in proprietary AI models, we're increasingly following uh falling behind the communist Chinese in the market for open source and open weight alternatives. Today, companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google are household names. Less well known are the open source and open weight AI models that are being adopted across the economy and around the world because they're cheaper, customizable and provide greater control to organizations. Unfortunately, the companies that are leading in the open source and open weight models are alibaba deepseek and moonshot and these are deeply intertwined with the chinese communist party my bill tackles this issue head-on by promoting the proliferation and adoption of innovative american open source models while encouraging common sense guardrails to protect users the bill does a couple of things first it directs the secretary of commerce to take action to support the adoption of us open source and open weight ai models including by appointing a single point of contact in the department to promote american alternatives to china second it mandates that the commerce department assess the risks associated with the adoption of chinese open source and open weight models and make these reports publicly available as we heard in the hearing on this small businesses and start-ups uh innovators entrepreneurs job creators uh here in the us are looking for cost effective solutions to compete in a global economy And they are increasingly using these open source and open weight models, which means it's essential to know what security risks they pose to our small businesses and our job creators here in the United States. Um, and I'll remind my colleagues that just a few weeks ago we saw a news break about how high-end uh uh United Kingdom Navy drone boats special forces technology were found to be secretly transmitting data to the Chinese. We know that this is a threat. And so that's why American leadership in the AI race, especially the open source component of it, is so essential. After the legislative hearing where the open source AI leadership act was discussed, an open letter signed by some of the most important and innovative companies in the world was published urging the United States to prioritize the development of open source AI. Companies like NVIDIA, Microsoft, and IBM put aside their differences to make a unified call for legislation just And I'll close my remarks by quoting from that letter directly. "The age of AI can be one of prosperity. With the right choices, open-weight AI can expand opportunity, strengthen competition, extend American technological leadership, mitigate risk, and ensure that the benefits of this extraordinary technology are shared broadly across our economy. The future is worth building, and the United States should lead in building it. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this build

Thank you. I thank Mister uh Evans. And uh does anyone else seek recognition on the bill? For what purpose does this gentleman uh uh seek recognition?

I'll strike the last word.

Thank you. You're recognized for five minutes, sir.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. I I share the goal of this legislation to promote America's leadership in open source artificial intelligence. Open source software has been an essential component of U. S. leadership since the internet revolution by driving innovation, efficiency and security, and we should continue that leadership into the age of AI. However, I am concerned that this bill gives the secretary of commerce the open-ended authority to take and I quote " any action as appropriate" to address barriers and promote US open source AI without adequately tailoring such authority and I have concerns about this vague language and how it can be abused by commerce secretary Lutnik. I also think this bill could benefit from additional stakeholder feedback and edits, including a more nuanced discussion of the potential risk posed by domestic open source AI models not just those posed by foreign adversary open source models, which I'm glad to see addressed, as well as consideration of the differences between open weight and open source models. Ultimately, I'm hopeful that we can work across the aisle to make this bill bipartisan in the future, and I look forward to working with stakeholders and my colleagues on this important issue. Today I will be voting no on H R one O one five five to the bill. But despite my no vote today, I remain committed to continuing to work on this issue to reach a compromise. And so I thank you and I yield back my time, Mr. Chairman.

I thank the gentlemen. Uh, anyone else uh seek recognition? Miss Trahan, you're recognized for five minutes on the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So it's great to see this uh subcommittee considering serious AI proposals. And while I can't support the open source AI leadership act as it's currently drafted I think my concerns are fixable uh if the chairman and sponsor of the bill are open to it I'd welcome the opportunity to work together to fix them in the weeks ahead while we're on this topic Mister Chairman I think it's

Very true.

important that we name the single biggest threat to a dynamic American open source ecosystem regulatory uncertainty Right now, federal AI governance is ad-hoc, opaque, and blunt. Voluntary commitments with no teeth. Executive orders that can change any time. Classified benchmarks, Friday night export controls, none of that builds a durable home for American open weight developers. What those developers need, especially the ones releasing their weights and training data openly, is stability and clarity and fairness. That's Congress's job, and we can do it now. We can write one framework that every frontier developer plays by, and that every integrator, deployer, and user can plan around. So alongside bills like the Open Source AI Leadership Act, this committee should take up the Frontier Act, bipartisan legislation that I've written with my colleagues on this subcommittee, Representative Jay Orbanolte and Erin Houchen. If our goal is strong open source ecosystem, I can't think of a more effective bill. The Frontier Act sets one set of definitions, thresholds, and obligations for every frontier developer, no matter how they release their models. It's deliberately agnostic to open weights because it targets what a model can do, not how it's shared. It creates a narrow federal lane covering catastrophic risk transparency, independent auditing, and incident reporting while leaving states their authority to protect kids consumers and civil rights. and it builds in real checks and balances. Executive branch decisions have to be grounded in technical evidence and subject to judicial review. So as this committee fills out its September calendar, I urge the chair to take up the bipartisan Frontier Act alongside the open source AI leadership act. I think together we can create clear, effective AI safety guardrails that our constituents deserve. Thank you. I yield back.

I thank the General Lady. Anyone else? Uh,

We're good.

Okay. Uh, the question now occurs on forwarding hr one zero one five two to the full committee. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes have it, and the bill is agreed to, and forwarded to the full committee. Alright, now we'll call up, the chair calls up HR sixty two zero seven and asks the clerk to report.

HR sixty two O seven, a bill to prohibit purchases of certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be opened for an amendment at any point. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? So, anyone on the Republican side? Yeah, yeah.

It's it's a

Yeah, yeah. Anyone see uh to be recognized on the bill? Alright. Let's go ahead with the amendatory process. Um, are there amendments to the desk, and I do have one here. Le Crook will report the amendment in the nature of a substitute. Uh, again, H six two zero seven, the aims.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR sixty two O seven, offered by Mister Bellarocco.

Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. Uh, this amendment is in the nature of a substitute, reflects bipartisan stakeholder agreement on HR sixty-two zero seven, the chip equip act. I wanna thank Representative Log uh Lofgren and uh Representative Olbernolte for their bipartisan leadership on this particular bill. Semiconductors are critical to our national and economic security. The Bipars and Chip Equip Act takes a targeted approach to semiconductor equipment by prohibiting semiconductor projects receiving CHIPS Act funding from purchasing certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufactured assembled or refurbished by a foreign entity of concern or its subsidiaries. Manufacturing equipment is a critical part of the supply chain, as everyone knows, and dependence on potentially adversarial sources can undermine a broader investment. This equipment, this bill strengthens the security and integrity of the US, uh, semi-manufacturing, uh, conductor supply chain and insurers that our investments in domestic manufacturing advance our national security. I encourage all my members, all these members to support this amendment and the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Is there any discussion on the amendment? No discussion on the amendment. Uh, if there are no uh further discussions, the vote occurs on the amendment. All those in favor of the amendment, signify by saying aye. aye all those opposed nay the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to so the chair on that uh i believe now will go ahead and uh any any further amendments no further amendments the the question now occurs on forwarding hr sixty two zero seven as amended to the full committee All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee. Moving along here. Excuse me. The chair calls up HR one zero one six three and asks the clerk to report.

HR one O one sixty three, a bill to direct the secretary of commerce to promote trusted quantum

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? Yes, Miss Lee, you're recognized.

Mister Chairman, I seek recognition to speak in support of the bill.

You are recognized.

Quantum technology has the potential to revolutionize industries, ranging from healthcare and communications to advanced manufacturing and national security. The United States has long been a global leader in innovation, but maintaining that leadership will require a coordinated strategy to support commercialization, strengthen supply chains, and encourage private investment.

Hold on.

The American Quantum Competitiveness Act, led by Mister Langworthy, takes important steps to ensure the U. S. remains at the forefront of this critical technology. By directing the Department of Commerce to promote the manufacturing, scaling and deployment of quantum technology. This bill helps bridge the gap between research breakthroughs and real-world applications. It also recognizes that to secure an reliable supply chain for quantum components is essential, to our economic and our national security. Importantly, the legislation brings together industry, government and other stakeholders to identify barriers to investment mitigate supply chain risks, and develop a national strategy for trusted quantum technologies. This forward-looking approach will help create high-skilled American jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and support the next generation of technological leadership. I want to thank my friend, Mister Langworthy, for his leadership on this important legislation. I look forward to supporting the bill and seeing it move forward. Thank you. I yield back.

I thank the general lady. Does anyone else seek uh to be recognized on the bill? Okay, seeing none, any further discussion? No. Are there any amendments to the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs on forwarding hr one zero one six three to the full committee. All those in favor say aye.

aye

ok uh all those opposed no the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee move it so go to yeah we'll go to the next one yeah get any idea ok the chair now calls up hr seven five zero two and uh ask the clerk to report against seven five zero two

hr seven five zero two a bill to prohibit a person from making a misleading recycled content claim in advertising marketing

without rejection the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be opened for amendment at any point does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill yes alright yes Yes? Yes. Miss Caster, you're recognized for five minutes on the bill.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I uh seek recognition to speak in opposition to HR seventy-five O two.

You are recognized.

Thank you. Um, members, this bill is entitled the Recycled Materials Attribution Act. It is uh misleading. It is a anti-recycling, pro-plastics industry bill that will detrimentally uh impact the health of our neighbors back home. It will exacerbate plastic pollution. Uh, that's very top of mind in the state of Florida, especially they estimate that about seven thousand tons of plastic pollution enters the uh ocean waters, the Gulf. Uh, over time we are just drowning in in plastic. This bill does nothing to help incentivize greater recycling. Um, it's gonna be particularly costly as well. There are a number of groups that have weighed in on this that I think you should know. The uh, Moms Clean Air Force sent in a note said if passed, this bill would deceive consumers about recycling and incentivize plastic incineration increa- increasing harmful air pollution and putting children's health at risk. They say that this bill allows industry to use deceptive forms of mass balance accounting. It's a bu- a bookkeeping trick that keeps companies, um, or companies can claim their, their products contain recycled content, even when there is little or no recycled material in the product. The credit can be transferred from waste plastic that was converted into toxic fuel and burned which no one would consider recycling. Another group, uh, about a dozen environmental organizations, and I'll submit this for the record, also says this bill will actively undermine the goals of recycling. Uh, the list goes on and on here. The the opposition has really come out in force on this one. They Here's another one from uh NRDC and and Oceana. uh other organizations that s- again call this bill misleading. So with all of this, uh I think this bill is not ready for prime time, Mister Chairman. I think we need to go back to the drawing board if we wanna do some things on recycling and work together, uh I think we could hammer out a better compromise. I would urge a no vote on this bill.

The general lay yields back. Uh any further discussion on the bill? Are there any amendments to the bill?

Mr. Evans.

Yes, mister, you're you're recognized, mister Evans, for your amendment.

Mister Chairman, I have an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the desk, uh, Evan O

You're recognized.

Well, you can you can have a seat.

zero two seven uh underscore XML.

Yes. The clerk will report the amendment.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HR seventy five O two, offered by mister Evans of Colorado. Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following.

Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the the gentleman is recognized for five minutes.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. Uh, this amendment in the nature of a substitute was drafted in response to feedback from a broad range of stakeholders and it would strengthen the Recycled Materials Attribution Act by ensuring it achieves its intended outcome of enhancing consumer protections and increasing trust in recycled content marketing claims. The aims clarifies important definitions to ensure alignment with existing federal guidelines specifically it changes the definition post-consumer material, pre-consumer material, and recycling to position them in c- in accordance with existing EPA definitions and guidelines. Um, and that's because the underlying bipartisan bill takes a nuanced approach to strengthening consumer protections, by establishing a nationally consistent framework for recycled content and recycled content marketing claims, at a time when we're seeing a patchwork of different definitions and frameworks around the country which causes consumer confusion and actually, um, erects barriers to, uh, increasing recycling when there's fifty different standards or potentially fifty different standards that need to be met. It also innova- uh, incentivizes innovative new technologies that can assist in reusing hard to recycle plastics and other materials, which helps to reduce plastic waste, uh, and, uh, and lowers the content of these things in landfills. I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill alongside my friend, uh langworthy of new york who i wanna thank for his leadership and so i urge my colleagues to support the ains and the underlying bill and yield back

gentleman yields back any further discussion on the amendment seeing none is there any further discussion no so let's see

so we

Yeah. No problem.

Okay, that's good.

Okay, if there's no further discussion, the vote occurs on the amendment. All those in favor of the amendment, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, nay. The ayes, yeah, the ayes have it. And the amendment is agreed to.

Doesn't matter. It's just a question of whether it's acceptable or not.

the question now occurs on forwarding hr seventy five zero two as amendment to the full committee uh all those in uh favor say aye

aye

aye those opposed no

no no no

uh the ayes have it and the bills agreed to and forward to the full committee

it's going back to

Yeah, what's the number there? Okay, we're gonna go back to H R sixty eight thirty two and the clerk will report.

H R sixty eight thirty two, a bill to amend the federal trade commission act to include requirements for recyclable compost support.

Without objection, the full reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. Is there further, is there any discussion on the bill? Yes, Miss Caster, you're recognized uh for uh five minutes on the bill.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I seek to uh speak in opposition uh to this bill.

You're recognized.

This is uh this is like a one-two punch of the this is the second punch of a pro-plastics industry anti-recycling Bill, the the PACT Act. Again, uh, this will detrimentally impact the health of our neighbors back home. It will increase plastic pollution at a time when we are just drowning in in plastics. Uh, it doesn't do anything to truly incentivize recycling. Here's the Moms Clean Air Force on the PACT Act. They say this will make it easier for companies to use recycling symbols, even when products are not actually recycled or composted at scale. increasing both consumer confusion and the risk of contamination in the municipal waste stream. Uh, this will not protect consumers from misleading recycled content or recyclability claims. Instead, they will incentivize polluting technologies. Um, again, the group of environmental organizations, including the National Resource and Defense Council and the Moms Clean Air Force, uh, says they in opposition to the PACT Act, this will eliminate state state truth-in-labeling laws, it will preempt effective state-level uh recycling efforts, it will saddle states and local municipalities and thus the taxpayers with increased cost in dealing with increased volumes on of unrecycled plastic waste, in the recycling stream. Uh, Surfrider uh foundation also says uh they strongly oppose this bill, proposes a weak voluntary federal framework lacking meaningful enforcement, revoking stronger state policies and opening the door to widespread greenwashing. The PACT Act would not only impede a traditional and established area of state regulation, but it would also saddle states and local municipalities with increased costs. That's the last thing we needed this time when everything else is so expensive. So, it's bad for your health, it's bad when it comes to your pocketbook, it's gonna increase plastic pollution, Uh, I say no go to the PACT Act and I urge uh colleagues to vote this down. I yield back.

Gen- General Leigh yields back. Any further discussion on the bill? Seeing none, are there any amendments to the bill? Mr. Chairman? Yes, you're recognized, sir. For what purpose? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the desk. Okay, I have an amendment, so you have an amendment, the clerk will report the amendment.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to HRIS sixty eight thirty two, offered by Miss

Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes in support of his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm proud to cosponsor uh Congressman Weber's legislation, HR six eight three two, the Package Act and Claims Knowledge Act, Pack Act. The HR six eight three two addresses a critical issue, improving the affordability of groceries and everyday consumer goods for constituents. Unfortunately, retailers, consumer packaged goods companies and their suppliers are currently facing a patchwork of conflicting state laws related to packaging, which makes the flow of interstate commerce challenging. The bipartisan PACT Act will help in this regard. It establishes a federal framework for recyclable, compost compostable, reusable claims on consumer product packaging. This amendment, in the nature of a substitute, is a result of thoughtful work with stakeholders from across the country, to make important improvements to the PAC Act. It clarifies the role of FTC guidance, which, given the actions of the previous FTC chair, serves as a necessary guardrail on federal power. It establishes minimum requirements for third-party certifications and certification bodies ensuring that the PAC Act serves as a robust and credible framework. It ends the confusion consumers face when going to the store and seeing different and conflicting environmental claims about the goods they buy and the result in lower costs for goods and families. I'm proud to cosponsor this bipartisan bill, along with my friend, Mister Weber of Texas, who I wanna thank for his leadership on it. I encourage all my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill and I yield back the balance of the bill. Gentleman yields back. Uh, any further discussion on the amendment? Seeing none, uh, the clerk will call the roll on the amendment the no's are rolled no further discussion we have order of four all those in favor shall signify by saying aye now we're voting on the aims on the amendment uh all of them all those in favor say aye aye aye all those opposed nay no no ok the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to now we'll vote on the on the bill as amendment the question now occurs on forwarding hr sixty eight thirty two as amendment to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye those opposed no aye no no no the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee Moving along here, the chair calls up H R nine three eight five and asks the clerk to report.

H R nine three eight five. A bill to prohibit entities integral to the national interests of the United States from participating.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point. So ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? alright so no further discussion on the bill are there any amendments to the bill alright very good mr. goldman you're recognized uh for an amendment on the bill

thank you mr. chairman i do have an amendment on the nature of of a substitute at the desk titled H nine three five eight.

The clerk will report.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H R ninety three eighty five, offered by Mister Goldman of Texas. Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following.

Without the object without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentleman is recognized for five minutes in support of his amendment.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, this amendment strengthens H R ninety three eighty five the Protect USA Act and I wanna thank Representative Fitzgerald for his leadership on this bill. American businesses shouldn't have to comply with burdensome foreign regulations that hurt our competitiveness, especially when they aren't even subject to the foreign law in the first place. The Protect USA Act protects entities important to US national interests from being forced to comply with foreign sustainability rules like the EU's corporate sustainability due diligence directive. Here's what that looks like on the ground in my district. A gas station owner in Fort Worth with just a handful employees isn't multinational isn't a multinational corporation doing business in Europe. He'll never file a compliance report in Brussels. But if his partner is with a major American fuel brand that does business in Europe, his franchise contract can get rewritten to satisfy EU mandates with new questionnaires, new supplier codes, new audit requirements, all from a regulation he had no say in. passed by a government he doesn't vote for. That's a small businessman in my district spending time and money to comply with EU overreach because of who he partners with to sell gas to local families, truck drivers and other small businesses. That's why I introduced the Stop the EU Overreach Act, directing the US Trade Representative to investigate whether these directives unfairly restrict American business, and to determine how we should respond. Together these bills help protect American businesses, from regulatory overreach abroad. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and the bill before us today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Any further discussion on the amendment? Seeing none, uh, if there's no further discussion, all in favor shall signify by saying aye. This is on the amendment. All all in favor say aye. Aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay. ok the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to the question now occurs on forwarding hr ninety three eighty five as amendment to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye

aye

those opposed no

no no

ok the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee

aye

ok we're gonna move now to uh i believe it's seventy nine four five yes ok the the chair calls up hr seventy nine four five and the uh the clerk will report

hr seventy nine forty five a bill to ban the sale of nitrous oxide consumer products and for other purposes be enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the United States

without objection the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so order ok Does anyone seek uh to be recognized on the bill? You're recognized, Mister Mullen. On the bill. Yeah.

Thank you, Mister Chair. Nitrous oxide is an addictive and dangerous substance, commonly referred to as laughing gas or whippets. While there are some narrow legitimate uses in medical and industrial settings, it is otherwise a hazardous substance. There has been an alarming rise in its misuse. Fourteen million Americans say they have misused it. And fatalities have increased by five hundred and seventy-eight percent in the past decade. Even a single use can cause debilitating effects like blood clots and neurological damage, and even lead to death. Despite these risks, nitrous oxide can easily be bought in gas stations, smoke shops, and through online retailers. Not only is it easily accessible to consumers, but it is also marketed as a party drug. With names like Miami Magic or Baking Bad and Galaxy Gas, while being sold in brightly colored canisters and flavors, this is clearly targeting both kids and adults for recreational use. With such fun and carefree marketing, unsuspecting victims often have no idea that even one hit of nitrous oxide could alter their lives forever. An individual who lost her sister to nitrous oxide addiction shared that, quote, "one of the greatest barriers we faced was my sister's belief that the product could not truly be dangerous because it was sold legally. That is why we must act. My bill, H R seventy-nine forty-five, the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act, would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, to label nitrous oxide as a banned hazardous product. This straightforward approach would prohibit its sale for household and recreational use. The bill includes exemptions to ensure that legitimate uses would not be impacted. such as in dentist's offices, commercial kitchens, and automotive settings. The CPSC already has an existing regulatory framework to oversee hazardous products, meaning the agency has the experience and expertise to enact this directive once it is signed into law. Some states are working to limit access to consumer sales of nitrous oxide. For example, my home state of California is moving forward a bill that would prohibit the sale of flavored nitrous oxide, or canisters larger than eight grams. Florida also recently passed a bill prohibiting smoke shops from possessing or selling nitrous oxide. While it is encouraging to see states responding to this crisis, their acting alone is not enough. A patchwork of state laws with various loopholes will still leave avenues for too many people to access this hazardous product. Individuals would still be able to drive across state lines or go to an on-line retailer to purchase it. In addition, there is no amount of nitrous oxide an individual can safely inhale without strict adherence to medical protocols. While the smallest canisters are compatible with devices to make whipped cream, their size does not make them any less dangerous for human inhalation. And there are many other ways to easily and cheaply make whipped cream at home. Nitrous oxide is neither necessary nor appropriate for household use. My staff and I have heard from countless families who have grieved the loss of a loved one due to nitrous oxide misuse. Their stories, many of which I submitted for the record during the legislative hearing on July twenty-second are harrowing but their commitment to honoring loved ones by advocating for change is inspiring too many lives have been lost. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill so we can end consumer sales of nitrous oxide and get this dangerous product off our shelves. Thank you and I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. Any further discussion? Yes, Mister Kane, you're recognized for five minutes on the amendment.

Thank you, Mister Chairman. I am pleased to see the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act included in today's mark-up. In my home state of New Jersey, I have heard from constituents who spoke firsthand by the dangers of a product found at gas stations and convenience stores across the country, nitrous oxide canisters or whippets. This product contains nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, which can also be used as a culinary uh propellant for products like whipped cream. In recent years, however, there's been a sharp increase in misuse of nitrous oxide as an inhalant that gives users a high. Its abuse can lead to heart attacks, nerve damage, muscle spasms, numbness, birth defects, paralysis, and even death. It is concerning that nitrous oxide canisters, full of this dangerous and deadly substance, being sold without restriction to youth and adults, with no knowledge of the dangers associated with the substance they are inhaling. And that's why I recently sent letters to gas stations, convenience stores, and on-line retailers across the country who have sold nitrous oxide to unsuspecting consumers. Additionally, I introduce a bill to honor John Robert Manorino, a constituent who passed away due to complications from this dangerous product. Today, I'm announcing my cosponsorship of the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act, because I believe it is important to address this issue and to ensure that nitrous oxide isn't available to unsuspecting consumers. I want to thank my colleagues for their partnership and I urge the committee to support this important legislation. Mr. Chair, I yield back.

Gentleman yields back. aye any further discussion on this particular bill alright the question now occurs on forwarding hr seventy nine forty five to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye those opposed no the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee see if i can get that to OK, moving along, the chair calls up HR sixty four eight eight and they ask the clerk to report.

HR sixty four eighty eight. A bill to prohibit certain platforms from allowing minors to create or maintain an account or profile.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is

mister chairman

that was miss haljan

miss haljan yeah you're recognized uh for what purpose

mister chairman i have amendment in the nature of a substitute at the desk

ok well let's see if there's no further discussion we'll move on to the amendatory process you're recognized uh will the clerk report please

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. R. sixty-four eighty eight, offered by Mrs. Haljan of Indiana. Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following.

Yeah, I think so.

Section one, short title. This act may be cited as governing underage access and requiring data consent in all networks.

Without objection the oh wait, excuse me. Uh, without objection the first reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment. We already did that. So, uh, you're recognized, Ms. Haljan.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, uh for including this bill uh in the mark-up today. Uh a lot of um an immense amount of work has gone into this and I'm certainly grateful for your consideration of the bill and for your support. Last week, Meta agreed to pay forty-eight states nearly eighteen billion dollars and to make sweeping changes to its platforms including night curfews time limits and an independent auditor. These basic steps are long overdue. and they are in admission that the industry knows that there are basic steps toward making social media safer for children, millions of children across the country have been harmed by the design and algorithms of these platforms. We shouldn't consider the outcome, though, of a court case as a reason to stop our work. One company acting under the pressure of litigation is not enough. A settlement binds one defendant. but it sets no standard for an industry. In fact, it actually re-emphasizes the responsibility of Congress to empower parents and to protect children online. This committee has already shown it can do that work. Earlier this year we passed the Kids Act package and helped shepherd it across the House floor with strong bipartisan support. I'm proud of that package and the hard work both by both my colleagues on our side of the aisle and the other. for the work that was done on that legislation. But my amendment today builds upon it. The result of those negotiations was a weaker COPPA, two point O. This bill seeks to close those significant loopholes. As introduced, the Reset Act sets a nationwide minimum age of sixteen for social media. I still believe there is real validity in exploring that standard. Australia has adopted it, other countries are following. And I'm not closing the door on that today. But I do wanna be practical. I wanna legislate where consensus exists. And over the past several months, I've worked with my colleagues and with stakeholders across the debate with parents and researchers and industry, to find where we can act now to ensure parents and caregivers are not left out of the equation. I wanna thank Chairman Bilirakis and Chairman Guthrie for their engagement throughout the process. This issue is personal to me. And my approach is informed by my own experience as a mother trying to keep her own children safe online. Those conversations shaped the amendment before you today. My substitute, the Guardian Act, replaces the flat age restriction with verifiable and revocable parental consent. It puts parents in charge. No platform may pro- process a child's personal data without a parent's consent. And parents can take that consent back at any time. as easily as they gave it with the account closed and the data deleted. It's the same parent empowerment principle at the heart of the Kids Act, applied to the front door of social media itself. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill. Thank you, Mister Chairman. I yield back.

I commend the gentlelady. Uh, Mister Pallone, you're recognized uh on the bill, on the bill I know it's on the aims, but I know you wanna speak on the bill too,

It's on both, thank you.

so go ahead, yeah.

Thank you, Mister Chairman.

Yeah, sure.

Uh, I respect that the goal of this bill is to keep kids safe online, and I share that goal, which is why I worked across the aisle earlier this year to pass the bipartisan Kids Act. The Kids Act, which passed the House on suspension, is a comprehensive on-line safety package that strikes a balance between holding social media companies accountable, requiring them to turn off addictive features by default, and protecting teen autonomy and speech rights. This amendment I think is incompatible with the kids act and the carefully negotiated protections for kids and teens data included in that package, so I can't support the amendment. But I also have strong policy concerns with the amendment. Under this amendment teens will need parental consent to access many on-line platforms and this amendment entitles parents to download all of a teen's data, including private messages. This type of parental access to minors' data can hurt vulnerable youth or subject them to real-world harm. Not all kids are raised in supportive or even safe households. As Congress, we have a duty to keep all kids safe. Over fifty percent of LGBTQ plus youth face some sort of rejection at home from their parents, and more than half of closeted youth use the internet to safely connect with peers. And I worry that this bill risks both isolating teens and unsupportive households, by giving their parents control over their online access and exposing teens in bad home situations to harm if their private conversations are revealed to their parents. This amendment also threatens to lead to a widespread age verification for all online users not just kids and teens. Current age verification technologies often use privacy invasive methods like uploading government ID_s or scanning a user's face biometrics. For all these reasons, I will be voting no, both on the amendment as well as on the bill, underlying bill. So I thank you, Mister Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman, he yields back. Uh, any further discussion on the amendment?

Yes.

Yes, uh, Miss Caster, you're recognized for uh five minutes on the amendment.

Well, thank you, Mister Chairman, and I certainly appreciate Miss Houchin's um eh leadership on on when it comes to to social media and really it was uh thanks to to both sides of the aisle on this committee. We got the Kids Act over the finish line past the House in June. We're kind of waiting for the Senate to to act, but that was kind of a very important step to to update how uh these platforms are designed and to call out some of the very insidious addictive um measures in that social media companies use and then to raise the age for for privacy protections. Um The meta-settlement last week is another call to action to make sure that whatever comes out of the Congress is the strongest possible. There may be some things to codify that were contained in that settlement, so it doesn't just apply to meta, it applies to all platforms. But I I need to have a little more clarity on what this AINS does. Um, I understand that the Reset Act, uh, Rep Halchin's original bills, uh, just said OK, age sixteen and younger, that's a social media ban in the US, and that's worth debating. Other countries have gone there. So that's pretty clear what that is. This aims, maybe counsel can can give us a little clarity. How does this aims differ from what we passed out on the Kids Act, the the bipartisan package of kids' on-line safety bills?

Thank you for the question. I would point you to section three a, prohibition. Uh, and I read A, provider of a covered platform may not process the personal data of a covered minor without obtaining the verifiable parental consent of a parent of the covered minor. Subsection B, age determination. Notwithstanding subsection A, a provider of a covered platform may process the personal data of a covered minor if, one the provider of the covered platform processes such personal data for the sole purpose of determining the age of a user. Subse- uh uh sec- paragraph two, the provider of the covered platform does not retain such personal data any longer than the period strictly necessary to determine the age of the user and deletes such personal data promptly upon determining the age of the user paragraph three.

Can you, I wonder if, counsel, if you can give it to us in plain language.

Uh, ma'am, I believe that is a policy question.

Will the gentlelady yield?

Yes, I'll yield to Rep Hatch.

So when we were crafting the the reset act, um, y- I don't know if you have heard the personal story, but when my daughter was thirteen she got access to a social media platform. When we discovered that she had it, she wasn't allowed to, she hacked around our parental controls and she got access at at age thirteen. Um, when we contacted the platform, they said, she's thirteen, she's legally able to have it. and if she would like to delete her account, she can, but you cannot. So whether a child is thirteen or sixteen or fifteen, whatever age they are, um, and, and I understand Mister Pallone's concerns, but there are m- many parents who want to be part of those conversations and who need to be part of those conversations that may be being left out of those. What I tried to do with the Guardian Act is to set the standard at, at can they contract without a parent, for the, for the use of that data without a parent's consent. And it should be revocable. If I determine that my sixteen year old is using social media to sell drugs, then I should be able as the parent to revoke that consent and take the platform away. It's simply not enough to say they can't have a phone, because we know children as young as nine are - are hacking around VPNs at school and - and lying about age and getting on these platforms. I'm trying to put parents in a position to have uh those conversations with their children and be able to protect them from these online harms and the kids act falls short of that which is why I crafted Guard Guardian.

OK, thank you for that explanation. So there was a lot of uh discussion on age verification, it's kind of a a hot topic. How does this bill, maybe for council first and the Rep Haljan, how does this um affect age verification? Cuz that's that's kind of a touchy subject out there.

I can read section three, B, uh, age determination, notwithstanding subsection A.

Maybe I'll go to Rep Couchen.

Thank you.

Cuz we can read the bill, but I'm looking for the broader context.

Yeah, yeah. So, we're still working on some of the age verification, uh, issues and, uh, Rep and I will be, um, dropping a bill called the Sweet Sixteen Act that will, uh, go in concert with - with, uh, his legislation, Parents Over Platforms. we really are trying to get to a place where everyone can be comfortable that we can do age verification in a way that's good for both sides um of the aisle and so we're continuing to work through that I think these bills work in complement with each other.

OK. I I'm out of time but I do have uh questions about the preemption and knowledge standard and whether that um whether they're stronger or weaker uh but I'll yield back at this time and listen to the rest of the people. Thank you.

OK, general lay yields back, uh yes. Mister Goldman, you're recognized for five minutes uh to discuss the amendment.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I yield my time to Representative Halchen.

Uh, thank you Mister Goldman.

You're right.

Miss Caster, I would just say that um there is a language that includes a zero knowledge proof standard, uh and that's one of the things that we're working on, um which is basically commercially available uh systems that anonymize the data so it's not transferring your identity It's just doing a plus up or plus down if if that that um anonymized data is of age or not of age. So it it it adds a layer of privacy protection with that standard.

And will the gentlewoman yield?

Sure.

Um, so that's still a little bit of a work in progress that you'd need, everybody would need clarity on going forward. And then the

Oh wait, that is in the bill.

That is in the bill.

The zero knowledge standard is in the bill.

Okay. The I understand that under the Kids Act, teens that are thirteen and younger need parental consent. That was kind of an update that was included in the COPPA two point out section. So is this the taking it um to sixteen with the additional age verification and

Yeah, it's taking it a it's taking it to eighteen, um or seventeen I should say, because you could, as I said, you could have a sixteen year old that is selling drugs on the platform, you may not want them to have access to that platform. if they're doing something that is harmful to themselves. So as a parent, you should be able to revoke that consent. And that's the idea that we're trying to get.

And that's the tension, I guess, between what Rep.

Yes.

Pilon, Ranking Member Pilon is saying with vulnerable teens, does that,

Correct.

is that over broad for, for certain folks? Okay, thank you.

Mm-hmm.

I'll yield back. Or I yield back to you.

Uh, I yield, Mister Chairman.

Yes, uh, yes, Goldman yields. Thank you. Alright, Um, I have a i- is there not, uh, any further discussion on the amendment? I'm sorry, yeah. Miss Schreier, you're recognized. I'm sorry.

Um, thank you, Mister Chairman. I I just wanted to thank you, uh, Representative Houchen, for continuing to work on protecting kids. Um, I want you to know that you have a partner in me. I think there's so many of us who are very concerned about this and, um, and I I care about parents and their involvement in their kids' lives, and and their right to know if kids are getting into danger. That's why I'm proud of so many parts of the kids act and Sammy's law because that at least alerts parents um if their kids are getting into danger um but still preserves kids privacy um i i am i have similar concerns about age verification but i like that you are working through this and you are getting to a place where we can protect privacy and verify age and um and really hold uh tech companies responsible And I'm also carefully watching the ban that they're doing in Australia and other places until age sixteen. Um, that was our family's policy. Um, in fact it's still going and he's almost eighteen and, uh, seems to have really no desire to be on those platforms, knowing how dangerous they can be and addictive they can be. So I'm watching with interest to see what the numbers look like, but also what the outcomes are in terms of attention and focus and school, and mental health, and family dynamics, and actual participation in sports and other activities and um what they do replace that time with um and how they interact with their friends and whether kids are you know kind of doing normal teenage activities again and so i just want you to know that i am here to continue to partner with you on this as we get results from australia and make sure we do the right thing for kids and families um also uh miss caster if if there was anything else you wanted to talk about i am happy to yield the rest No, I'll take my time. Okay, I yield back then.

Gentlelady yields back, appreciate it. I I commend the gentlelady for all her work. And is there any further discussion? Alright, then we'll vote on the amendment, is uh if there's no further discussion. The vote occurs on the amendment, all in favor of the amendment is signified by saying aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay. The ayes have it, and the amendment is agreed to. The question now occurs on forwarding hr sixty four eighty eight as amendment to the full committee. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed no.

No.

OK,

No.

the ayes have it, and the bills agreed to, and forward to the full committee.

That was an all right. Super.

the chair now calls up hr twenty seven one three and asks the clerk to report

hr twenty seven thirteen a bill to improve online ticket sales and protect consumers and for other purposes be enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states

without objection the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point anyone wanted to discuss the bill any further discussions on the bill No. Alright. So we'll get to the amendatory process. Are there any amendments? Yes, there are. The clerk will report the amendment in the nature of a substitute. And it's H two seven one three, the aims.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute, HR twenty seven thirteen, offered by Mister Bill Rockus of Florida. Strike out what he has.

Without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with this amendment in the nature of a substitute I recognize myself for the amendment. Uh, this amendment in the nature of the substitute reflects bipartisan agreement on Representative uh Harshberger and Carter's Main Event Ticketing Act. Live events, such as concerts and sports, are an important part of American culture and economy. bringing communities together and supporting artists, athletes and venues. Americans should be able to buy tickets to their favorite show or game without competing against automated bots. Bots often purchase large quantities of tickets almost instantly, making it harder for ordinary consumers to access events at the initial price. The Main Event Ticketing Act strengthens consumer protection in the online ticket marketplace by addressing automated ticket purchasing and strengthening enforcement of existing protections. Fans should not have to rely on sophisticated software or pay inflated prices simply to attend a concert sporting event or other live event. This bill improves accountability by requiring primary ticket sellers to report bought attacks, giving regulators better visibility into the scope of the problem. Building off the ticket act, uh this bill is a common sense step forward, a fairer ticketing marketplace. I encourage all my colleagues to support the amendment. We uh we worked on this with the chair uh, Schakowsky, you were chair at the time I believe. Um. and we worked on this jointly and this adds to it so uh complements our bills uh so uh i yield back the balance of my time but i encourage everyone to vote on for this particular amendment any further uh discussions on the amendment if there are no further discussions the vote occurs on the amendment all in favor of the uh amendment signify by saying aye aye

aye

all those opposed uh no The ayes have it, and the amendment is agreed to. The question now occurs on forwarding HR twenty seven thirteen as amendment to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye those opposed no.

aye aye

The ayes have it, and the bill is agreed to, and forward to the full committee. The chair calls up H R fifty nine sixty seven and asks the clerk to report.

H R fifty nine sixty seven. A bill to direct the Federal Trade Commission, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, to convene an inter-agency task force for the purpose of addressing scams and for other purposes.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the b- bill will be open for amendment at any point. Does anyone seek recognition on the bill? OK, um, no discussion on the bill. So, are there any amendments?

Mister Chairman.

Yes.

I have an amendment at the, uh, in the nature of a substitute at the desk.

Yes. Uh, OK, you are recognized, uh, to to explain your amendment, but we wanna have the clerk report the amendment first. Go ahead, clerk.

Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H R fifty nine sixty seven, offered by Mrs. Halton of Indiana. Strike out after the enacting clause and insert the following.

So, Ms. Halton, you're you're recognized too.

Section one.

Yeah. What purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? OK, without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with, and the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes in support of her amendment.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I was happy that H R five nine six seven uh is before us today and I wanna thank Mister Menendez for his partnership on it. I also wanna recognize my fellow Hoosier Mister Shrieve and the Stop Scams Caucus for keeping this issue at the forefront in the House of Representatives. Fraud used to be a nuisance crime. It isn't anymore. Americans reported losing fifteen point nine billion dollars to fraud last year. That's the highest on record. It's up roughly twenty seven percent in a single year. The Federal Trade Commission's own estimate puts the cost of fraud in twenty twenty-four alone as high as one hundred and ninety-six billion dollars. Clearly this is an issue. But the problem is not that no one is working on it. The problem is that everyone is working on it from a different angle. No single agency is able to see the whole picture. We heard that plainly at our legislative hearing in July. I asked the witnesses a simple question. What is actually stopping the federal government from sharing what it already knows? Is it authority? Is it statute? Is it capability? The answer was simpler than that. There's a lack of ownership and coordination. No agency has been told to own it, and no one has been tasked with the primary responsibility for it. So emerging scams discovered by one agency never reach another. Meanwhile, criminal syndicates do coordinate. and Americans get hurt. H R five nine six seven, the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, gives the work of an uh gives the owner gives ownership over the issue. It directs the FTC with the Department of Justice to convene an inter-agency task force for the purpose of addressing addressing scams targeting consumers. The task force is directed to proactively engage and consult with industry partners. These companies see things we don't. They often spot patterns long before those patterns reach a federal database. A strategy with with written without that first-hand knowledge from industry is a strategy that's written only from the outside. This bill ensures they will be part of the ongoing conversation and how we address it. Americans are losing close to two hundred billion dollars a year to criminals better coordinated than the government trying to chase them. I know we can do better and H R five nine six seven is how we start. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and to report the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I thank the General Lady. Again, I'm sorry, I have a bad cold, but uh anyway, I thank the General Lady um for offering the amendment. Any further discussions on the amendment? Yes, Miss Tingo, you're recognized for five minutes on the amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanna support uh the General Lady. and her colleague for introducing this. Consumer protection is about trust. Families should not have to worry about their personal information being exploited or scammers waiting to steal their hard-earned savings. And today, scams have continued to evolve. Criminals are using artificial intelligence, fake web sites, spoof phone numbers, text messages, and social media to target Americans every day. Twenty twenty five Americans reported close to sixteen billion dollars in fraud losses. And we know that the true number is even higher because victims are too embarrassed to report it. Today's scammers are evolving faster than our response. Their tactics include robocalls, text messages, anybody been to the cryptocurrency bank machines which are horrific, saw met several people this summer who had been scammed. artificial inter and artificial intelligence, making scams more convincing and harder to detect. And that's why we need a coordinated national strategy and why the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act led by Representatives, Menendez and Huchin is so important. It will establish a task force that brings together federal agencies, law enforcement, financial institutions, and the private sector to identify the emergency threats and develop strategies to prevent scams before they happen. Because, and I unfortunately have met too many people, because once someone loses their retirement savings or life savings to a scam, recovering that money is almost impossible. Prevention has to be just as important as enforcement. And they're really getting smart. My own mother this summer, I still don't know how it happened, And thankfully, somebody caught it. Someone actually convinced her to put an app on her computer that they were using to take over and change the password on her financial accounts. This is, these are, this is a smart, tough cookie. And I have more, we all have more stories than we want. Consumer protection should be a non-partisan issue. We all have a responsibility to protect the people we represent, and ensure our laws keep pace with the criminals trying to exploit them. With that, I urge all my colleagues to support HR fifty nine sixty seven. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Generally yields back, I thank her. A- anyone else, any further discussion on the amendment? OK, seeing no um, we're gonna vote on the amendment with no further discussion. All in favor uh of the amendment shall signify by saying aye. Aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay. the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to the question now occurs on forwarding hr fifty nine sixty seven as amendment to the full committee all those in favor say aye aye

aye

uh those opposed no the ayes have it and the bill is agreed to and forward to the full committee without objection uh looks like we're we're done folks Appreciate you all staying, even though there were all voice votes. Appreciate you being here and and participating. So without objection, staff is authorized to make technical and conforming changes to the legislation approved by the committee today. So, order. Without objection, the committee stands adjourned.

Okay.