Consumer Safety Technology Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. 3723.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 3723, the Consumer Safety Technology Act, and I want to begin by thanking Representatives McNerney and Burgess for their leadership on this bill, which they reintroduced this Congress.

This legislation will help modernize our consumer protection agencies and encourage the use of advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and blockchain in support of product safety and consumer protection.

These technologies can help the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission improve their operations and more effectively carry out their mission.

Technological advances and globalization have greatly expanded the range of consumer products on the market. And as consumers shop online, more and more of these products are being shipped directly to homes. Artificial intelligence could help the CPSC oversee the increasingly complex range of products under its jurisdiction by helping to identify new injury trends and emerging hazards.

AI can also help the CPSC monitor online marketplaces for the illegal sale of recalled products. The persistence of recalled products on online third-party marketplaces is a particularly pernicious problem that puts Americans needlessly at risk.

For example, months after the dangerous Fisher-Price Rock `n Play and other infant inclined sleepers were recalled, a Consumer Reports investigation found that these products were still being sold on sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, even though they had been linked to dozens of infant fatalities. I am hopeful that artificial intelligence can be harnessed here to help eradicate the illegal sale of recalled products on online marketplaces.

The CPSC could also use AI to assess the risks of the growing number of imported consumer products entering our country and being sent directly to consumers.

This bill incorporates a bill originally introduced by Representative Soto and Guthrie, the Blockchain Innovation Act, and a bill originally introduced by Representatives Davidson and Soto, the Digital Taxonomy Act.

As incorporated in this legislation, these bills will help identify ways blockchain technology can be used to further support consumer protection. It will also make sure that scammers and fraudsters don't get ahead of consumers and law enforcement in the realm of blockchain and digital tokens.

Mr. Speaker, finally, I thank Ranking Member Rodgers and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Ranking Member Bilirakis for working with us to move this bill; and as always, to the chairwoman of the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. PALLONE. Schakowsky), the chairwoman of the subcommittee.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I also urge support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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