[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 5580-5582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01361]
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 1
Adjustments to Civil Penalty Amounts
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is
implementing adjustments to the civil penalty amounts within its
jurisdiction to account for inflation, as required by law.
DATES: Effective January 17, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marie Choi, Attorney (202-326-3368),
Office of the General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission, 600
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation
Adjustment Act Improvements Act (``FCPIAA'') of 2015 \1\ directs
agencies to adjust the civil penalty maximums under their jurisdiction
for inflation every January. Accordingly, the Commission issues annual
adjustments to the maximum civil penalty amounts under its
jurisdiction.\2\
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\1\ Public Law 114-74, 701, 129 Stat. 599 (2015). The Act amends
the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act, Public Law
101-410, 104 Stat. 890 (codified at 28 U.S.C. 2461 note).
\2\ 81 FR 42476 (2016); 82 FR 8135 (2017); 83 FR 2902 (2018); 84
FR 3980 (2019), 85 FR 2014 (2020); 86 FR 2539 (2021); 87 FR 1070
(2022); 88 FR 1499 (2023); 89 FR 1445 (2024).
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Commission Rule 1.98 sets forth the applicable civil penalty
amounts for violations of certain laws enforced by the Commission.\3\
As directed by the FCPIAA, the Commission is issuing adjustments to
increase these maximum civil penalty amounts to address inflation since
its prior 2024 adjustment. The following adjusted amounts will take
effect on January 17, 2025:
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\3\ 16 CFR 1.98.
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Section 7A(g)(1) of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a(g)(1)
(premerger filing notification violations under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Improvements Act)--Increase from $51,744 to $53,088;
Section 11(l) of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 21(l)
(violations of cease and desist orders issued under Clayton Act section
11(b))--Increase from $27,491 to $28,205;
Section 5(l) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(l) (violation of
final Commission order)--Increase from $51,744 to $53,088;
Section 5(m)(1)(A) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(A)
(knowing violation of rule respecting unfair or deceptive acts or
practices)--Increase from $51,744 to $53,088;
Section 5(m)(1)(B) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(B)
(knowing violation of cease and desist order respecting unfair or
deceptive acts or practices)--Increase from $51,744 to $53,088;
Section 10 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 50 (failure to file
required reports)--Increase from $680 to $698;
Section 5 of the Webb-Pomerene (Export Trade) Act, 15
U.S.C. 65 (failure by associations engaged solely in export trade to
file required statements)--Increase from $680 to $698;
Section 6(b) of the Wool Products Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C.
68d(b) (failure by wool manufacturers to maintain required records)--
Increase from $680 to $698;
Section 3(e) of the Fur Products Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C.
69a(e) (failure to maintain required records regarding fur products)--
Increase from $680 to $698;
Section 8(d)(2) of the Fur Products Labeling Act, 15
U.S.C. 69f(d)(2) (failure to maintain required records regarding fur
products)--Increase from $680 to $698;
Section 333(a) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act,
42 U.S.C. 6303(a) (knowing violations of EPCA Sec. 332, including
labeling violations)--Increase from $560 to $575;
Section 525(a) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act,
42 U.S.C. 6395(a) (recycled oil labeling violations)--Increase from
$27,491 to $28,205;
Section 525(b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act,
42 U.S.C. 6395(b) (willful violations of recycled oil labeling
requirements)--Increase from to $51,744 to $53,088;
Section 621(a)(2) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15
U.S.C. 1681s(a)(2) (knowing violations of the Fair Credit Reporting
Act)--Increase from $4,857 to $4,983;
[[Page 5581]]
Section 1115(a) of the Medicare Prescription Drug
Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, Public Law 108-173, as
amended by Public Law 115-263, 21 U.S.C. 355 note (failure to comply
with filing requirements)--Increase from $18,293 to $18,768; and
Section 814(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act
of 2007, 42 U.S.C. 17304 (violations of prohibitions on market
manipulation and provision of false information to federal agencies)--
Increase from $1,472,546 to $1,510,803.
Calculation of Inflation Adjustments
The FCPIAA, as amended, directs federal agencies to adjust each
civil monetary penalty under their jurisdiction for inflation in
January of each year pursuant to a cost-of-living adjustment.\4\ The
cost-of-living adjustment is based on the percent change between the
U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers
(``CPI-U'') for the month of October preceding the date of the
adjustment, and the CPI-U for October of the prior year.\5\ Based on
that formula, the cost-of-living adjustment multiplier for 2025 is
1.02598. The FCPIAA also directs that these penalty level adjustments
should be rounded to the nearest dollar. Agencies do not have
discretion over whether to adjust a maximum civil penalty, or the
method used to determine the adjustment.
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\4\ 28 U.S.C. 2461 note at (4).
\5\ Id. (3), (5)(b); Office of Management and Budget, Memorandum
M-25-02, Implementation of Penalty Inflation Adjustments for 2025
Pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act
Improvements Act of 2015 (December 17, 2024), available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/M-25-02.pdf.
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The following chart illustrates the application of these
adjustments to the civil monetary penalties under the Commission's
jurisdiction.
Calculation of Adjustments to Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties
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2025 Penalty level
Citation Description 2024 Penalty Adjustment (rounded to the
level multiplier nearest dollar)
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16 CFR 1.98(a): 15 U.S.C. 18a(g)(1).. Premerger filing $51,744 1.02598 $53,088
notification violations.
16 CFR 1.98(b): 15 U.S.C. 21(l)...... Violations of cease and 27,491 1.02598 28,205
desist orders.
16 CFR 1.98(c): 15 U.S.C. 45(l)...... Violations of final 51,744 1.02598 53,088
Commission orders.
16 CFR 1.98(d): 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(A) Knowing violations of 51,744 1.02598 53,088
rules respecting unfair
or deceptive acts or
practices.
16 CFR 1.98(e): 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(B) Knowing violations of 51,744 1.02598 53,088
cease and desist orders
respecting unfair or
deceptive acts or
practices.
16 CFR 1.98(f): 15 U.S.C. 50......... Failure to file required 680 1.02598 698
reports.
16 CFR 1.98(g): 15 U.S.C. 65......... Failure to file required 680 1.02598 698
statements.
16 CFR 1.98(h): 15 U.S.C. 68d(b)..... Failure to maintain 680 1.02598 698
required records.
16 CFR 1.98(i): 15 U.S.C. 69a(e)..... Failure to maintain 680 1.02598 698
required records.
16 CFR 1.98(j): 15 U.S.C. 69f(d)(2).. Failure to maintain 680 1.02598 698
required records.
16 CFR 1.98(k): 42 U.S.C. 6303(a).... Knowing violations of 560 1.02598 575
the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act.
16 CFR 1.98(l): 42 U.S.C. 6395(a).... Recycled oil labeling 27,491 1.02598 28,205
violations.
16 CFR 1.98(l): 42 U.S.C. 6395(b).... Willful recycled oil 51,744 1.02598 53,088
labeling violations.
16 CFR 1.98(m): 15 U.S.C. 1681s(a)(2) Knowing violations of 4,857 1.02598 4,983
the Fair Credit
Reporting Act.
16 CFR 1.98(n): 21 U.S.C. 355 note... Non-compliance with 18,293 1.02598 18,768
filing requirements.
16 CFR 1.98(o): 42 U.S.C. 17304...... Market manipulation or 1,472,546 1.02598 1,510,803
provision of false
information to federal
agencies.
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Effective Dates of New Penalties
These new penalty levels apply to civil penalties assessed after
the effective date of the applicable adjustment, including civil
penalties whose associated violation predated the effective date.\6\
These adjustments do not retrospectively change previously assessed or
enforced civil penalties that the FTC is actively collecting or has
collected.
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\6\ 28 U.S.C. 2461 note at (6).
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Procedural Requirements
The FCPIAA, as amended, directs agencies to adjust civil monetary
penalties through rulemaking and to publish the required inflation
adjustments in the Federal Register, notwithstanding section 553 of
title 5 in the United States Code. Pursuant to this congressional
mandate, prior public notice and comment under the APA and a delayed
effective date are not required. For this reason, the requirements of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act (``RFA'') also do not apply.\7\ Further,
this rule does not contain any collection of information requirements
as defined by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 as amended. 44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.
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\7\ A regulatory flexibility analysis under the RFA is required
only when an agency must publish a notice of proposed rulemaking for
comment. See 5 U.S.C. 603.
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Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.),
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs designated this rule
as not a ``major rule,'' as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
List of Subjects for 16 CFR Part 1
Administrative practice and procedure, Penalties, Trade practices.
Text of Amendments
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Federal Trade
Commission amends title 16, chapter I, subchapter A, of the Code of
Federal Regulations, as follows:
PART 1--GENERAL PROCEDURES
Subpart L--Civil Penalty Adjustments Under the Federal Civil
Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as Amended
0
1. The authority citation for subpart L continues to read as follows:
Authority: 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
0
2. Revise Sec. 1.98 to read as follows:
[[Page 5582]]
Sec. 1.98 Adjustment of civil monetary penalty amounts.
This section makes inflation adjustments in the dollar amounts of
civil monetary penalties provided by law within the Commission's
jurisdiction. The following maximum civil penalty amounts apply only to
penalties assessed after January 17, 2025, including those penalties
whose associated violation predated January 17, 2025.
(a) Section 7A(g)(1) of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18a(g)(1)--
$53,088;
(b) Section 11(l) of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 21(l)--$28,205;
(c) Section 5(l) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(l)--$53,088;
(d) Section 5(m)(1)(A) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(A)--
$53,088;
(e) Section 5(m)(1)(B) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(B)--
$53,088;
(f) Section 10 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 50--$698;
(g) Section 5 of the Webb-Pomerene (Export Trade) Act, 15 U.S.C.
65--$698;
(h) Section 6(b) of the Wool Products Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C.
68d(b)--$698;
(i) Section 3(e) of the Fur Products Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C.
69a(e)--$698;
(j) Section 8(d)(2) of the Fur Products Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C.
69f(d)(2)--$698;
(k) Section 333(a) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, 42
U.S.C. 6303(a)--$575;
(l) Sections 525(a) and (b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation
Act, 42 U.S.C. 6395(a) and (b), respectively--$28,205 and $53,088,
respectively;
(m) Section 621(a)(2) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C.
1681s(a)(2)--$4,983;
(n) Section 1115(a) of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement
and Modernization Act of 2003, Public Law 108-173, as amended by Public
Law 115-263, 21 U.S.C. 355 note--$18,768;
(o) Section 814(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007, 42 U.S.C. 17304--$1,510,803; and
(p) Civil monetary penalties authorized by reference to the Federal
Trade Commission Act under any other provision of law within the
jurisdiction of the Commission--refer to the amounts set forth in
paragraphs (c), (d), (e) and (f) of this section, as applicable.
By direction of the Commission.
April J. Tabor,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-01361 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P