,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chci  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ae1    
#bjbb,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 
,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 and   
,ms4 ,hirono7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to clarify that the ,federal ,trade  
,commission ,act prohibits excessive and
 unjustified price increases in the sale
 of certain products and services when  
an emergency or disaster results in     
abnormal disruptions of the market1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,disaster
 and ,emergency ,pricing ,abuse         
,prevention ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in 
this ,act3 7#a7 ,commission ,the term   
,commission means the ,federal ,trade   
,commission4  7#b7 ,essential good or   
service ,the term essential good or     
service means any good or service that  
may be used to preserve1 protect1 or    

sustain the health1 safety1 or welfare  
of members of the public from potential 
harms resulting from a natural disaster1
 a pandemic1 or the circumstances giving
 rise to a state of emergency4  7#c7    
,natural disaster ,the term natural     
disaster means a disaster1 catastrophe1 
or emergency1 including flood1 fire1    
earthquake1 storm1 or other serious act 
of nature1 which threatens the health1  
safety1 or welfare of the public4  7#d7 
,state of emergency ,the term state of  
emergency means any state of emergency  
or disaster declared by the ,president  
or by the government of any ,state or   
territory of the ,united ,states4  7#e7 
,unconscionably excessive price ,the    
term unconscionably excessive price     
means a price that represents a gross   
disparity between the price of the      
essential good or service that is the   
subject of an offer or transaction      
during1 or in anticipation of1 a natural
 disaster1 pandemic1 or state of        
emergency and the average price at which

 such essential good or service was     
offered in the ordinary course of       
business prior to any public            
anticipation of a natural disaster1     
pandemic1 or state of emergency4  #c4   
,federal ,trade ,commission enforcement 
against price gouging  7a7 ,violation   
,it shall be unlawful for any person to 
sell1 or offer for sale1 in or affecting
 commerce any essential good or service 
at an unconscionably excessive price    
during1 or in anticipation of1 a natural
 disaster1 pandemic1 or state of        
emergency4  7b7 ,enforcement  7#a7      
,unfair or deceptive acts or practices  
,a violation of this section or a       
regulation promulgated under this       
section shall be treated as a violation 
of a rule defining an unfair or         
deceptive act or practice prescribed    
under section #ah7;a77#a77;,b7 of the   
,federal ,trade ,commission ,act 7#ae   
,u4,s4,c4 #eg;a7a77#a77;,b774  7#b7     
,powers of the commission  7,a7 ,in     
general ,except as otherwise provided in

 subparagraph 7,c71 the ,commission     
shall enforce this section and the      
regulations promulgated under this      
section in the same manner1 by the same 
means1 and with the same jurisdiction1  
powers1 and duties as though all        
applicable terms and provisions of the  
,federal ,trade ,commission ,act 7#ae   
,u4,s4,c4 #da et seq47 were incorporated
 into and made a part of this section4  
7,b7 ,privileges and immunities ,any    
person who violates this section or a   
regulation promulgated under this       
section shall be subject to the         
penalties1 and entitled to the          
privileges and immunities1 provided in  
the ,federal ,trade ,commission ,act    
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #da et seq474  7,c7      
,application to common carriers and     
nonprofit organizations ,notwithstanding
 section #d1 #e7;a77#b71 or #f of the   
,federal ,trade ,commission ,act 7#ae   
,u4,s4,c4 #dd1 #de7;a77#b71 #df7 or any 
jurisdictional limitation of the        
,commission1 the ,commission shall also 

enforce this section and the regulations
 promulgated under this section1 in the 
manner provided under this subsection1  
with respect to-- 7i7 common carriers   
subject to the ,communications ,act of  
#aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aea et seq47 and  
all ,acts amendatory thereof and        
supplementary thereto2 and  7ii7        
organizations not organized to carry on 
business for their own profit or that of
 their members4  7#c7 ,rulemaking ,the  
,commission may promulgate in accordance
 with section #eec of title #e1 ,united 
,states ,code1 such rules as may be     
necessary to carry out this section4    
7#d7 ,effect on other laws ,nothing in  
this section shall be construed in any  
way to limit the authority of the       
,commission under any other provision of
 law4  #d4 ,price gouging hotline ,the  
,commission shall establish a telephone 
hotline and an online mechanism to      
enable the public to report price       
gouging complaints1 which shall be      
activated in anticipation of or during a

 natural disaster1 pandemic1 or state of
 emergency and shall remain operational 
until #abj days after the conclusion of 
such disaster1 pandemic1 or state of    
emergency4  #e4 ,no preemption of ,state
 law ,nothing in this ,act preempts any 
,state law4