Senate Commerce Committee Passes Bipartisan E-Warranty Act

The Senate Commerce Committee passed the 2015 E-Warranty Act (S-1359) in a voice vote Wednesday during an executive session markup. The legislation introduced by ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., “streamlines warranty notice rules and provides explicit direction to manufacturers that they have the option to meet their warranty requirements on their company’s website,” said a news release introducing the legislation (see 1505150037). The senators said the legislation is needed since FTC rules aren't clear if posting a warranty online meets warranty notice requirements, the release said. No amendments were proposed or adopted during the markup. CEA applauded the bill and urged the Senate to take quick action to pass the legislation. The "common sense bill" would reduce "paper usage, helping the environment, cutting costs and providing consumers easy access to product warranties," and there should be "broad, bipartisan support" and "quick" Senate action on the legislation, said Veronica O’Connell, CEA vice president-government and political affairs, in a news release Wednesday.