Extending the U.S. Safe Web Act of 2006

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4779) to extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4779

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF THE U.S. SAFE WEB ACT OF 2006.

Section 13 of the U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-455; 15 U.S.C. 44 note) is amended by striking ``September 30, 2020'' and inserting ``September 30, 2027''. SEC. 2. REPORT.

Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall transmit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report describing its use of and experience with the authority granted by the U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-455) and the amendments made by such Act. The report shall include--

(1) the number of cross-border complaints received and acted upon by the Commission;

(2) identification of the foreign agencies with which the Commission has cooperated and the results of such cooperation, including any foreign agency enforcement action or lack thereof;

(3) a description of Commission litigation brought in foreign courts and the results of such litigation; and

(4) any recommendations for legislation that may advance the mission of the Commission in carrying out the U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2006 and the amendments made by such Act. SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. 4779.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4779, a bill to extend the U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2006. This legislation, which I have cosponsored, was introduced by the ranking member of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Representatives Robin Kelly and Larry Bucshon. It advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee without objection.

With our increased global and connected marketplace, American consumers and businesses are facing a growing number of complex threats from foreign wrongdoers. The United States SAFE WEB Act protects us from bad actors engaged in unfair or deceptive acts or practices by giving the Federal Trade Commission the authority and tools it needs to pursue enforcement actions against them.

It has already been used to great effect to protect consumers in a wide range of cases, including scams that prey on older adults and connected toys that prey on our children's privacy. Reauthorizing the U.S. SAFE WEB Act is supported by all five commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission. This legislation would extend the U.S. SAFE WEB Act for another 7 years.

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, but I do want to say that this is an example of bipartisan legislation that I am so proud of that has come out of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and I am really grateful to my ranking Republican, her authorship of this legislation and her work to get it passed that will certainly protect us from foreign bad actors, scams, and deceptive practices. It gives the Federal Trade Commission more authority.

Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that I am hoping that all of our colleagues can endorse, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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