|
|
House Approves Bill to Remove Labeling Exemption for Garments with Small Amounts of Fur |
The House of Representatives approved July 28 legislation that, effective 90 days after enactment, would remove the existing labeling exemption for garments that contain small amounts of fur. The bill also directs the Federal Trade Commission to update its Fur Products Name Guide, which Rep. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., said “has been criticized as inaccurate and outdated.”
The Fur Products Labeling Act currently requires articles of apparel containing fur to be labeled with the name of the species used, the manufacturer, the country of origin and other information but exempts from this requirement products containing a relatively small quantity or value of fur. The Federal Trade Commission has set that amount at $150 since 1998.
The Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009 (H.R. 2480) would amend the FPLA by removing this exemption, thus requiring all apparel containing fur to be labeled with the required information regardless of the cost of the garment or the value of the fur used. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., said this step will extend the labeling requirement to the estimated 13% of the fur garment market that is excluded under the existing law. The bill contains one exemption from this requirement for fur products sold by hunters and trappers out of their homes or at fairs or other temporary spaces. |
|
|