15 U.S.C. § 2064 : US Code - Section 2064: Substantial product hazards

Search 15 U.S.C. § 2064 : US Code - Section 2064: Substantial product hazards

(a) "Substantial product hazard" defined
For purposes of this section, the term "substantial product
hazard" means -
(1) a failure to comply with an applicable consumer product
safety rule which creates a substantial risk of injury to the
public, or
(2) a product defect which (because of the pattern of defect,
the number of defective products distributed in commerce, the
severity of the risk, or otherwise) creates a substantial risk of
injury to the public.
(b) Noncompliance with applicable consumer product safety rules;
product defects; notice to Commission by manufacturer,
distributor, or retailer
Every manufacturer of a consumer product distributed in commerce,
and every distributor and retailer of such product, who obtains
information which reasonably supports the conclusion that such
product -
(1) fails to comply with an applicable consumer product safety
rule or with a voluntary consumer product safety standard upon
which the Commission has relied under section 2058 of this title;
(2) contains a defect which could create a substantial product
hazard described in subsection (a)(2) of this section; or
(3) creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death,
shall immediately inform the Commission of such failure to comply,
of such defect, or of such risk, unless such manufacturer,
distributor, or retailer has actual knowledge that the Commission
has been adequately informed of such defect, failure to comply, or
such risk.
(c) Public notice of defect or failure to comply; mail notice
If the Commission determines (after affording interested persons,
including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for
a hearing in accordance with subsection (f) of this section) that a
product distributed in commerce presents a substantial product
hazard and that notification is required in order to adequately
protect the public from such substantial product hazard, the
Commission may order the manufacturer or any distributor or
retailer of the product to take any one or more of the following
actions:
(1) To give public notice of the defect or failure to comply.
(2) To mail notice to each person who is a manufacturer,
distributor, or retailer of such product.
(3) To mail notice to every person to whom the person required
to give notice knows such product was delivered or sold.
Any such order shall specify the form and content of any notice
required to be given under such order.
(d) Repair; replacement; refunds; action plan
If the Commission determines (after affording interested parties,
including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for
a hearing in accordance with subsection (f) of this section) that a
product distributed in commerce presents a substantial product
hazard and that action under this subsection is in the public
interest, it may order the manufacturer or any distributor or
retailer of such product to take whichever of the following actions
the person to whom the order is directed elects:
(1) To bring such product into conformity with the requirements
of the applicable consumer product safety rule or to repair the
defect in such product.
(2) To replace such product with a like or equivalent product
which complies with the applicable consumer product safety rule
or which does not contain the defect.
(3) To refund the purchase price of such product (less a
reasonable allowance for use, if such product has been in the
possession of a consumer for one year or more (A) at the time of
public notice under subsection (c) of this section, or (B) at the
time the consumer receives actual notice of the defect or
noncompliance, whichever first occurs).
An order under this subsection may also require the person to whom
it applies to submit a plan, satisfactory to the Commission, for
taking action under whichever of the preceding paragraphs of this
subsection under which such person has elected to act. The
Commission shall specify in the order the persons to whom refunds
must be made if the person to whom the order is directed elects to
take action described in paragraph (3). If an order under this
subsection is directed to more than one person, the Commission
shall specify which person has the election under this subsection.
An order under this subsection may prohibit the person to whom it
applies from manufacturing for sale, offering for sale,
distributing in commerce, or importing into the customs territory
of the United States (as defined in general note 2 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States), or from doing any
combination of such actions, the product with respect to which the
order was issued.
(e) Reimbursement
(1) No charge shall be made to any person (other than a
manufacturer, distributor, or retailer) who avails himself of any
remedy provided under an order issued under subsection (d) of this
section, and the person subject to the order shall reimburse each
person (other than a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer) who is
entitled to such a remedy for any reasonable and foreseeable
expenses incurred by such person in availing himself of such
remedy.
(2) An order issued under subsection (c) or (d) of this section
with respect to a product may require any person who is a
manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of the product to reimburse
any other person who is a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of
such product for such other person's expenses in connection with
carrying out the order, if the Commission determines such
reimbursement to be in the public interest.
(f) Hearing
An order under subsection (c) or (d) of this section may be
issued only after an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with
section 554 of title 5 except that, if the Commission determines
that any person who wishes to participate in such hearing is a part
of a class of participants who share an identity of interest, the
Commission may limit such person's participation in such hearing to
participation through a single representative designated by such
class (or by the Commission if such class fails to designate such a
representative). Any settlement offer which is submitted to the
presiding officer at a hearing under this subsection shall be
transmitted by the officer to the Commission for its consideration
unless the settlement offer is clearly frivolous or duplicative of
offers previously made.
(g) Preliminary injunction
(1) If the Commission has initiated a proceeding under this
section for the issuance of an order under subsection (d) of this
section with respect to a product which the Commission has reason
to believe presents a substantial product hazard, the Commission
(without regard to section 2076(b)(7) of this title) or the
Attorney General may, in accordance with section 2061(d)(1) of this
title, apply to a district court of the United States for the
issuance of a preliminary injunction to restrain the distribution
in commerce of such product pending the completion of such
proceeding. If such a preliminary injunction has been issued, the
Commission (or the Attorney General if the preliminary injunction
was issued upon an application of the Attorney General) may apply
to the issuing court for extensions of such preliminary injunction.
(2) Any preliminary injunction, and any extension of a
preliminary injunction, issued under this subsection with respect
to a product shall be in effect for such period as the issuing
court prescribes not to exceed a period which extends beyond the
thirtieth day from the date of the issuance of the preliminary
injunction (or, in the case of a preliminary injunction which has
been extended, the date of its extension) or the date of the
completion or termination of the proceeding under this section
respecting such product, whichever date occurs first.
(3) The amount in controversy requirement of section 1331 of
title 28 does not apply with respect to the jurisdiction of a
district court of the United States to issue or exend (!1) a
preliminary injunction under this subsection.
(h) Cost-benefit analysis of notification or other action not
required
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the
Commission, in determining that a product distributed in commerce
presents a substantial product hazard and that notification or
other action under this section should be taken, to prepare a
comparison of the costs that would be incurred in providing
notification or taking other action under this section with the
benefits from such notification or action.