[House Report 119-157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-157
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CONSUMER SAFETY TECHNOLOGY ACT
_______
June 12, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Guthrie, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1770]
The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1770) to direct the Consumer Product Safety
Commission to establish a pilot program to explore the use of
artificial intelligence in support of the mission of the
Commission and to direct the Secretary of Commerce and the
Federal Trade Commission to study and report on the use of
blockchain technology and tokens, respectively, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 1
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Committee Action................................................. 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Oversight Findings and Recommendations........................... 3
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................. 3
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 3
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 3
Related Committee and Subcommittee Hearings...................... 4
Committee Cost Estimate.......................................... 4
Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits....... 4
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 4
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
H.R. 1770, the Consumer Safety Technology Act, was
introduced by Representative Soto on March 3, 2025, and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 1770
directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to
establish a pilot program to explore the use of artificial
intelligence in support of the mission of the CPSC and to
direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to study and report on the use of blockchain
technology and tokens, respectively.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The CPSC is charged with protecting the public from
unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use
of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's
jurisdiction.\1\ The CPSC has various tools to support its
consumer product safety mission but faces growing challenges.
The CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer
products used in and around the home, in recreation, in
schools, and more.\2\ In addition, international trade and
technological advances have further expanded the range of
products in the market, making overseeing and regulating
consumer products even more complex.\3\ Changing consumer
trends, including the rise of online shopping, requires the
CPSC to increase its efforts to protect consumers from unsafe
e-commerce shipments entering the United States.\4\
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\1\United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, About CPSC,
https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC (last visited March 12, 2025).
\2\Your Online Source for Recalls, Recalls.Gov, https://
www.recalls.gov/cpsc.html, (last visited March 12, 2025).
\3\United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Strategic Plan
2018-2022 (2017), https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/CPSC_2018-
2022_Strategic_Plan.pdf.
\4\United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC e-
Commerce Assessment Report, (Nov. 2019), https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-
public/CPSC-e-Commerce-Assessment-Report.pdf.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, a subset
of AI, have vast potential benefits. It is important that the
United States act to secure itself as the global leader in AI.
H.R. 1770 ensures that the CPSC studies AI and related
technologies, pilots their use in the agency's day-today
functions, and understands the way AI tools could be used to
protect the public against unreasonable risk of injury or death
from consumer products.
Blockchain technology and tokens are two closely related
emerging technologies with new benefits and risks for
consumers. For example, blockchain has the potential to benefit
many industries through its ability to track transactions
accurately, securely, and efficiently.\5\ It is important for
agencies to understand how these properties could be used in
new ways to protect consumers from fraud and other unfair or
deceptive acts or practices.
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\5\Arielle Feger, Blockchain Technology: What it is, benefits, and
its cross-industry applications, EMarketer (Oct. 19, 2023), https://
www.emarketer.com/learningcenter/guides/blockchain-
technology-applications-use-cases/.
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H.R. 1770 is needed to help ensure our consumer protection
agencies stay up to date with emerging technologies and to
encourage the use of emerging technologies such as AI and
blockchain in support of product safety and consumer
protection.
COMMITTEE ACTION
On September 27, 2023, the Subcommittee on Innovation,
Data, and Commerce held a hearing on H.R. 4814.\6\ The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
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\6\H.R. 4814 was reintroduced in the 119th Congress as H.R. 1770.
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Ms. Kathleen Callahan, Owner, Xpertech Auto
Repair;
Mr. Scott Benavidez, Chairman, Automotive
Service Association;
Mr. Steven Michael Gentine, Counsel, Arnold
& Porter, LLP;
Mr. John Breyault, Vice President of Public
Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National
Consumers League; and
Mr. David Touhey, Certified Venue Expert,
Principal, Connett Consulting (IAVM, Fix the Tix
Coalition member, former president of venues,
Monumental Sports); and Adjunct Professor of sports
management, Georgetown University and George Washington
University.
On March 4, 2025, the full Committee on Energy and Commerce
met in open markup session and ordered H.R. 1770, without
amendment, favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the
record votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments
thereto. There were no record votes taken in connection with
ordering H.R. 1770 reported.
OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Pursuant to clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII, the Committee held (a) hearing(s) and made findings
that are reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII, the Committee
finds that H.R. 1770 would result in no new or increased budget
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or
revenues.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII, at the time this
report was filed, the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not available.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to
promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard with
respect to retractable awnings.
DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of
H.R. 1770 is known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, including any program that was included in a report to
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
RELATED COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII, the following
hearing was used to develop or consider H.R. 1770:
On September 27, 2023, the Subcommittee on Innovation,
Data, and Commerce held a hearing on H.R. 4814. The
Subcommittee received testimony from:
Ms. Kathleen Callahan, Owner, Xpertech Auto
Repair;
Mr. Scott Benavidez, Chairman, Automotive
Service Association;
Mr. Steven Michael Gentine, Counsel, Arnold
& Porter, LLP;
Mr. John Breyault, Vice President of Public
Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National
Consumers League; and
Mr. David Touhey, Certified Venue Expert,
Principal, Connett Consulting (IAVM, Fix the Tix
Coalition member, former president of venues,
Monumental Sports); and Adjunct Professor of sports
management, Georgetown University and George Washington
University.
COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. At the time this report was
filed, the estimate was not available.
EARMARK, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS
Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the
Committee finds that H.R. 1770 contains no earmarks, limited
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 allows the Act to be cited as the ``Consumer
Safety Technology Act.''
Section 2. Definitions
Section 2 defines key terms in H.R. 1770.
TITLE I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
Title I requires the CPSC to establish a pilot program to
explore the use of artificial intelligence by the CPSC. The
pilot program must use artificial intelligence for tracking
trends with respect to injuries involving consumer products,
identifying consumer product hazards, monitoring the retail
marketplace for the sale of recalled consumer products, or
identifying consumer products to be refused entry by United
States customs. Title I also requires the CPSC to consult with
cyber security experts, the retail industry, consumer product
manufacturers, and consumer product safety organizations when
establishing the program and to report to Congress no later
than 1 year after the conclusion of the pilot program on the
findings and data derived from the program.
TITLE II. BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
Title II requires the Secretary of Commerce, in
consultation with the FTC, and any other federal agency it
deems appropriate, to study the possible uses of blockchain
technology for consumer protection purposes. In conducting the
study, the Secretary must examine existing and emerging uses of
blockchain technology to protect consumers, trends in
commercial use and investment in blockchain technology to help
prevent fraud, best practices in facilitating public-private
partnerships in blockchain technology to prevent fraud, and
potential benefits and risks related to the use of blockchain
technology to prevent fraud. The Secretary must provide an
opportunity for public comment and submit a report to Congress
that contains the results of the study.
TITLE III. TOKEN TAXONOMY
Title III includes Congressional findings and a requirement
that the FTC submit a report to Congress on the actions taken
by the FTC related to unfair or deceptive acts or practices in
transactions relating to tokens, any efforts to prevent unfair
or deceptive acts or practices related to tokens, and any
recommendations for legislation that would improve the ability
of the FTC and other relevant agencies to further protect
consumers from unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the
token marketplace.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
This legislation does not amend any existing Federal
statute.
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