US Congress Senate Bill 1606 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-3)
Status: Introduced on August 6 2009 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2009-08-06 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to jurisdiction of courts in the United States over foreign manufacturers that import products into the United States. Directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (with respect to drugs, devices, cosmetics, and biological products), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (with respect to consumer products), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (with respect to chemical substances, new chemical substances, and pesticides) to require foreign manufacturers and producers of such products (or components used to manufacture them), in excess of a minimum value or quantity, to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on their behalf for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in state and federal courts. Requires the registered agent to be located in a state with a substantial connection to the importation, distribution, or sale of the products. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish, maintain, and make available to the public a registry of such agents. Deems a foreign manufacturer or producer of products covered under this Act that registers an agent to consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state or federal courts of the state in which the agent is located for the purpose of any civil or regulatory proceeding. Prohibits importation into the United States of a covered product (or component part that will be used in the United States to manufacture a covered product) if the product (or component part) or any part of the product (or component part) was manufactured or produced outside the United States by a manufacturer or producer who does not have a registered agent whose authority is in effect on the date of the importation. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to jointly study the feasibility and advisability of requiring foreign producers of food distributed in commerce to establish a registered agent in the United States who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of such producers for the purpose of all civil and regulatory actions in state and federal courts.

Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009

Sen. Michael Bennet [D-CO]	Sen. Scott Brown [R-MA]	Sen. Sherrod Brown [D-OH]	Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]	Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC]	Sen. Edward Kaufman [D-DE]	Sen. Mary Landrieu [D-LA]
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT]	Sen. Claire McCaskill [D-MO]	Sen. Robert Menendez [D-NJ]	Sen. Bill Nelson [D-FL]
Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR]	Sen. Jeff Sessions [R-AL]	Sen. Arlen Specter [D-PA]	Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]

Date	Chamber	Action
2009-08-06		Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
2009-08-06		Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9007-9008)

HB4678 (Related) 2010-12-22 - Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 413.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/1606/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s1606/BILLS-111s1606is.pdf