Foreign Manufacturer’s Legal Accountability Act Of 2013

The “Foreign Manufacturer’s Legal Accountability Act of 2013” has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH). This bi-partisan bill has 30 original co-sponsors.

Over seventy-eight percent of all Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls in 2012 were products made by foreign manufactures. Despite those numbers, foreign corporations are able to evade United States laws and safety standards because of the difficulty of holding them responsible in the U.S. court system.

Please call and write your Congressperson and tell them how important a yes vote is on this bill. The consumer needs this legislation to help hold foreign manufacturers accountable.

The bill would do the following:

• Require foreign manufacturers or producers of covered products to register an agent, located in a state where the company does business, who would be able to accept service of process for civil and regulatory claims.

• By registering the agent, the foreign manufacturer or producer would consent to state and federal jurisdiction for civil and regulatory claims arising from all covered products under the bill. Covered products would include imported products regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This includes imported drugs, devices, cosmetics, biological products, consumer products, chemical substances, and pesticides.

The time is right to pass this bill.