Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Federal Trade Commission Improvements Act of 1979 - Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to authorize appropriations to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for fiscal years 1980 through 1982. Exempts savings and loan institutions from certain reporting requirements and regulatory and investigatory powers of the FTC. Requires the Federal Home Loan Bank Board to: (1) establish a division of consumer affairs to receive and act on complaints concerning unfair or deceptive acts and practices affecting commerce by certain savings and loan institutions; and (2) prescribe regulations, similar to regulations prescribed by the FTC governing corporations, to define and prevent such practices. Amends the rulemaking procedures of the FTC. Requires a copy of each rule promulgated by the FTC to be transmitted to Congress. Prescribes procedures for Congressional review of any such rules and for resolutions of disapproval preventing rules from becoming effective. Directs the FTC to prepare and publish in the Federal Register for any proposed rule: (1) a statement of the need for the rule; (2) a description of each alternative method of achieving the regulatory goal which was considered; (3) a justification of the selection of the final rule; and (4) an economic impact analysis of the rule and each alternative method considered. Directs the FTC to make copies of such analysis available to the public. Requires the FTC to include in the publication of any final rule a statement that such rule is clearly written and does not conflict with or duplicate any existing rule. Directs the Commission to: (1) review its rules every five years to determine whether each rule should be amended or repealed; and (2) to publish each rule under review in the Federal Register for public comment. Prohibits the FTC from using only funds appropriated by this Act to carry out specified provisions concerning the cancellation of a trademark registration.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on May 1, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on May 1, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
THOMAS LUKEN (D-OH) introduced it on May 1, 1979, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 1, 1979, 17299 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17299 days ago, on May 1, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers