NCL commends FTC for crackdown on ‘shoddy’ healthcare plans

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November 6, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) has issued praise for the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent action against Simple Health Plans LLC, a Hollywood, FL-based company duping consumers into purchasing shoddy healthcare plans purporting to be Affordable Care Act-compliant. At the request of the FTC, a federal judge temporarily shut down the company that allegedly bilked consumers out of more than $100 million by selling worthless plans and simultaneously leaving victims uninsured.

In August, NCL expressed concern that the Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance (STLDI) Plan rule would allow for the sale of short-term health insurance plans that do not comply with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act—and allow insurers to offer junk insurance policies that fail to meet consumers’ healthcare needs. 

The following statement can be attributed to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“We commend the FTC for its swift action against Simple Health Plans and the con artists disguised as health care company executives. This company has gone further than just preying on consumers’ finances — they’ve misled consumers into believing they were buying legitimate insurance coverage. Instead, they’ve left their victims without basic coverage for  doctors’ visits and pre-existing conditions, and many with mounting debt. We appreciate the FTC’s efforts to protect consumers from false advertising and unscrupulous actors in this industry and hope justice is served for these fraudsters and others who prey on vulnerable healthcare consumers.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL welcomes federal food waste initiative

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October 19, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is welcoming an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a new initiative to reduce food waste. The agreement is aimed at improving coordination and communication across federal agencies attempting to better educate Americans on the impacts and importance of reducing food loss and waste.

According to a statement issued by the agencies, U.S. food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply. This figure, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills and represents nourishment that could have helped feed families in need.

“We welcome this acknowledgement by the federal government that food waste is a problem that warrants our attention,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “The amount of food we waste—while millions of others go hungry, in our own country and around the globe, is shameful, and we can all do better. We eagerly await hearing more about the concrete steps the administration is recommending to tackle the problem.”

NCL has been an early leader on identifying reducing food waste as a priority and is a co-founder of Further with Food: Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions, a virtual resource to share information about proven solutions and innovative new approaches to reduce the volume of surplus food generated, feed hungry people, and divert food and scraps to the highest beneficial use. In 2016, NCL hosted a food waste summit to identify causes and search for solutions to engage consumers on reducing food waste. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a *national goal to cut U.S food waste in half by 2030.

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on letter to USDA on E. coli – National Consumers League

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October 15, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC-The National Consumers League (NCL) led the Safe Food Coalition in a letter sent today to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) expressing concern over regulations related to E. coli control and prevention in the aftermath of two recent recalls of E. coli contaminated beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, Inc.

Both Cargill recalls are Class I recalls, the most severe risk category FSIS assigns to human food recalls. Cargill’s first recall applied to 25,288 pounds of ground beef products that may have been contaminated with Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7, or the most well-known serotype of E. coli but did not cause any illnesses. Cargill’s second recall applied to a far greater amount of food product – 132,606 pounds of ground beef – contaminated with E. coli O26, an extremely virulent pathogen that is often grouped with six other serotypes known as the “non-O157 STECs.”

The recent outbreak linked to Cargill’s beef caused 18 illnesses and one death, underscoring the seriousness of the public health risk posed by non-O157 STECs. In the letter sent to Acting Deputy Under Secretary Rottenberg, NCL asks FSIS to amend agency guidance to formally recommend a “test and hold” procedure for all STECs, not just E. coli O157:H7, so that consumers are adequately protected from contaminated meat products before the product enters the marketplace. The letter also urges FSIS to discontinue the assumption that testing and safety protocols for the O157:H7 serotype are sufficient to control or eliminate the risks posed by the six other non-O157:H7 STECs.
“We are asking FSIS to hold all plants handling beef products to to the same testing standards that can capture all serotypes of E. coli. We are aware of two beef processors – Beef Products Inc, Inc and Costco Wholesale – who conduct “test and hold” for all seven serotypes of E. coli, beyond the minimum standard for just E. coli O157:H7 as FSIS currently requires. A large entity like Cargill should also be required to do the same.” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. 

Read the letter here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Consumer watchdog group to present 45th annual Trumpeter award to Senators Duckworth, Markey on Tuesday, 10/16

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October 15, 2018

Identity Theft Resource Center’s Eva Casey Velasquez to receive grassroots activism award 

Media contacts: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC— The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, has announced it will honor Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, on Tuesday, October 16 in Washington, DC.

In addition to the Trumpeter Award, NCL will the honor Eva Casey Velasquez, President and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, with the 2018 Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award.

MEDIA ADVISORY

What: National Consumers League’s 2018 Trumpeter Awards
When: Tuesday, October 16, 2018
7 pm Dinner and Presentation of Awards
Where: Marriott Marquis | Liberty Ballroom
901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

This year marks the 45th anniversary year of the Trumpeter Award, which honors leaders in the fight for consumer and worker rights. Past honorees include: Senator Ted Kennedy, the award’s inaugural recipient, as well as Labor Secretaries Hilda Solis, Robert Reich, and Alexis Herman, Senators Carl Levin and Paul Wellstone, Delores Huerta of the United Farm Workers, and other honored consumer and labor leaders. Last year’s recipients were the legendary social justice leader Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and then-Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray.

“Senator Tammy Duckworth embodies America’s best values throughout her career, as an Iraq War Veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, and former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “She is an inspirational leader and justice-minded policymaker on civil rights, standing up for immigrants and veterans, and speaking out on behalf of consumers on healthcare and justice reform. We are thrilled to honor her this October with this historic award.”

“For nearly five decades, Senator Ed Markey’s leadership has been a model for Americans of all generations,” said Greenberg. “Whether on issues dealing with commerce, protecting the environment, or in defense of privacy, healthcare, and cybersecurity, his commitment to policy that serves consumers and workers is exemplary.”

“Eva Casey Velasquez’s leadership at the Identity Theft Resource Center and her commitment to broadening public education and awareness about important issues that affect almost every consumer have earned her this year’s Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president on public policy, telecommunications and fraud. “Velasquez’s work has helped to put consumers at the center of ID theft prevention, and we are delighted to present her with this award to honor her commitment to consumer education and protection.”

This year’s Trumpeter Awards will feature a reception, dinner, and speaking appearances by NCL leadership and the honorees, as well as Maria Cardona, CNN/CNNE Commentator & Principal of Dewey Square Group. To learn more, visit nclnet.org/about-ncl/trumpeter-awards_awards.

Members of the media are welcome to attend this event but must RSVP. For questions or to RSVP: Call Carol McKay, (724) 799-5392 or Taun Sterling, (202) 207-2832

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Women’s health experts launch the Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health

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October 9, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League is pleased to join with other leading national women’s health and sexual health organizations in announcing the launch of the Alliance for Advancing Women’s Health (AAWH), a new collaborative initiative to advance women’s sexual healthcare by improving the interaction between clinicians and patients about sexual health.

Through AAWH, made possible with support from AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., member organizations will work together to empower women with information to seek better sexual healthcare. AAWH will also work to increase healthcare providers’ understanding of women’s sexual health needs to better address their patients’ sexual health concerns.

“Women’s sexual health is critically important to a woman’s overall health, and *it can help to improve social and emotional wellness. But too often, women’s sexual health concerns go unaddressed,” said AAWH Co-Chair Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League. “As women’s health experts and advocates, we know that cultural discomfort with the topic of sexual health, as well as limited clinician time and training, contribute to a lack of dialogue and through this alliance we will seek to change that.”

A survey of U.S. women found that about *seven in 10 had experienced a sexual health issue. Despite the reported prevalence of sexual health concerns, a culture of discomfort around women’s sexual health often inhibits open conversation about women’s sexual health even in a healthcare professional’s office. Surveys of patients and healthcare professionals found that most women (73%) preferred their clinician to broach the topic of sexual health, while most clinicians (74%) relied on their patients to initiate the conversation. AAWH members will volunteer their time and expertise to help bridge this gap and improve women’s sexual health outcomes.

“For too long, women and their clinicians have not had open conversations about sexual health concerns, to the detriment of women’s physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing,” said AAWH Co-Chair Sheryl Kingsberg, PhD, President, North American Menopause Society and Division Chief of Behavioral Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “AAWH will work with clinicians and women across the country to foster an open dialogue and to advance sexual health care for women everywhere.”

Learn more about AAWH at https://advancingwomenshealth.org/.

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on Senate passage of FAA Reauthorization Bill

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October 4, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–Yesterday’s vote by Congress to send the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill to President Trump’s desk represents a missed opportunity to address the lack of competition and rampant abuse of add-on fees by the nation’s biggest airlines, said the National Consumers League. The inclusion of some new consumer protections in the bill particularly the prohibition on involuntary bumping and minimum seat size standards, promises to improve consumers’ experience in the air. However, the omission of the bipartisan FAIR Fees Act language in the bill, a provision that would have helped consumers who are being gouged to the tune of $2.9 billion a year, will hurt consumers for years to come. Congress’ inaction on the FAIR Fees Act is a significant setback for the flying public.

The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“The FAA Reauthorization Act will not protect consumers from unreasonable change and cancelation fees as we had hoped. However, it can protect consumers from shrinking seat sizes that hamper evacuations and contribute to deep vein thrombosis.

“Much of the advocacy around airline consumer protection will now turn to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the FAA, which, as a result of this bill, will craft rules on issues such as minimum seat size standards, involuntary bumping, consumer complaint handling, and fee refunds. We urge Chairman Chao and Acting Administrator Elwell to listen to consumers, not just the legions of airlines lobbyists as it begins these important rulemaking proceedings.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League disappointed by DC City Council’s overturning of popular vote

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October 4, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply disappointed by the DC City Council’s vote to overturn a ballot measure voters approved in June to raise the minimum wage for restaurant servers and other tipped workers in the District of Columbia.

On Tuesday, the city council voted 8 to 5 in favor of repealing the measure, and now it’s up to Mayor Muriel Bowser to either veto or sign the bill. In the past, Bowser has expressed opposition to Initiative 77. The initiative requires DC businesses to eventually pay the full $15 local minimum wage to restaurant servers, bartenders, valets, and other workers who earn most of their income from customers’ tips.

“Abolishing a low minimum wage for tipped workers would give a much-needed boost to low-income families who barely earn enough to make ends meet,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. The national consumer and worker advocacy organization is headquartered in Washington, DC, where some of its staff has been involved in advocacy efforts to ensure that DC residents’ voices were heard on the issue.

Businesses in the city can currently pay tipped workers as little as $3.89 per hour as long as workers make enough money in tips to earn the full minimum wage. (The city’s regular minimum wage is currently $13.25 but will reach $15 by 2020.) If their tips aren’t enough, employers are supposed to pay the difference.

Despite being approved by voters in the June primary, the measure sparked fierce opposition from the local restaurant industry, which claimed that such a move would drive away small businesses and force restaurants to slash jobs.

Despite all the hype surrounding the potential negative impacts of Initiative 77, it’s unlikely to have drastic consequences. Based on available research, customers would likely pay a little more for their meals and tip slightly less. However, workers would see a modest income boost, which would help DC’s most vulnerable communities become less financially fragile.

“The fate of Initiative 77 represents a crucial test for the national movement to raise wages for low-wage workers,” said Greenberg. “Prospects may be bleak for this voter-approved ballot initiative, but our fight for equitable wages will continue.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League applauds Amazon’s commitment to increasing minimum wage

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October 3, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today applauded Amazon’s decision to provide a $15 minimum wage for all employees, including associates employed by temporary agencies. The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“We laud Amazon, a very large and influential company for its leadership. This decision affects more than 250,000 Amazon employees, as well as more than 100,000 seasonal holiday employees. The increase will be a boon to workers’ families. We want specifically to thank Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, not only for his leadership at Amazon, but for encouraging Amazon’s competitors and other large employers to ‘join us’ in increasing minimum wages across the board.

“NCL’s early leaders wrote some of the first minimum wage laws in the United States, so this is of particular significance to us. We are especially gratified to learn that Amazon will join the call for increasing the federal minimum wage, which has been stagnant since 2009 at a paltry $7.25 an hour.  This campaign needs the boost that Amazon’s support will provide.

“Thanks as well to Jay Carney, Amazon’s senior vice president of Amazon Global Corporate Affairs, for his remarks underscoring the impact of a minimum wage increase across America. It will indeed have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country, whose hard work and many hours on the job yields far less than a livable wage at current levels.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

LifeSmarts launches 25th anniversary season of consumer literacy education, competition, scholarship opportunities

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September 27, 2018

1.5 million students have gained real-world knowledge through the program

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–Today marks the official launch of the 25th season of LifeSmarts, with a new competition going live at the online home of the program, LifeSmarts.org. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), is a national scholarship competition and educational program for middle-school and high-school students that tests knowledge of real-life consumer issues and aims to create a future generation of consumer-savvy adults.

“We are very excited to launch our 25th season of LifeSmarts,” said national Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “For 25 years, LifeSmarts has given students the skills they need to succeed as adults. We’ve seen more than 1.5 million students gain knowledge, confidence, leadership capabilities, and team-building skills. The competition is fun, and the impact of LifeSmarts is lifelong.”

LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Students are quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during online competition. Top-performing teams then advance to statewide competitions, and state champion teams advance to the national championship held each year in a different American city. The 2019 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida. Winning team members receive scholarships and other prizes.

Last year, students answered more than 3.5 million consumer questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. By being consumer savvy and quick on the buzzers, the LifeSmarts team from Dallas High School in Dallas, PA, took home top honors at the 24th annual national event in San Diego. Dallas High was a returning champion, taking home the national title three years in a row.

In addition to online, state, and national competitions, LifeSmarts recognition and awards occur throughout the program year:

  • Teams of students vie for cash prizes in the online TeamSmarts quiz, which focuses on a specific LifeSmarts content area each month from September through January.
  • Classroom mentor programs: Five $1,000 scholarships are awarded each winter to winning LifeSmarts students who become Safety Smart Ambassadors, using LifeSmarts content to present safety messages to younger children in their communities.
  • Partnering with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), LifeSmarts offers special competitive events for student members of both student leadership organizations. FBLA and FCCLA team members have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and other honors.

LifeSmarts is active in all states and the District of Columbia, where NCL is headquartered.

“We are proud of the impact LifeSmarts has made in its 25 years of educating teens, and we are excited to continue to grow the LifeSmarts program, to educate students about financial literacy, and to create a new generation of savvy, market-ready consumers and workers,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Too often traditional high school curriculum fails to teach students vital information that will be crucial once students go to college, get their first job, or move out of their parents’ house.”

In addition to hosting the official LifeSmarts competition, LifeSmarts.org provides resources for educators to supplement existing lesson plans. These include daily quizzes, educational videos, social media competitions, focused study guides, and scholarship opportunities. LifeSmarts lessons closely align with courses taught in family and consumer sciences, business, technology, health, and vocational education. Math and English teachers have also had success with LifeSmarts, as have homeschool and community educators.

Major LifeSmarts contributors include: Johnson & Johnson, Underwriters Laboratories, Western Union, Comcast NBC Universal, Experian, Intuit, American Express Company, Microsoft, and others.

Visit LifeSmarts.org for more information.

*Links are no longer active as the original sources have removed the content, sometimes due to federal website changes or restructurings.

LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.

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About LifeSmarts

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: LifeSmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at (202) 835-3323.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit *www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on FDA’s draft rule to publicize the identity of food retail consignees following Class I recall

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September 26, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League commends Commissioner Scott Gottleib, MD, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for releasing a draft rule on September 26, 2018, that would publicize the names and locations of food retail consignee (i.e., establishment) that have issued a recall due to a food safety risk or the confirmed presence of a food contaminant. Previously, FDA has worked with companies to identify the specific contaminated product or brand, but has refrained from publicizing food distribution or retail information such as store names and locations due to commercial confidentiality concerns. Today’s move represents a step forward for consumers, removing the information burden previously placed onto consumers wishing to protect themselves and their families from contaminated food.

While the rule represents a good first step, NCL believes the FDA could go further in what the rule will cover. For instance, FDA should publicize the retail establishments for all recalls, not only Class I (serious injury or death), as the rule is currently written. The other two classes of recalls, Class II (serious injury or temporary illness), and Class III (unlikely to cause illness or injury but violate federal rules), should also be included in this rule. Further, FDA should include restaurants in the types of retail consignees covered in the draft rule. Currently, it covers grocery stores, pet food stores, and convenience stores that can receive orders in store or online, as well as direct delivery or third-party delivery service.

NCL commends FDA for this effort. The draft rule is open to public comments for 60 days, after which the Administration will evaluate consumer and retailer feedback, issuing proposed guidance.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.