former FTC Conference Center
601 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Washington
DC
20001
Event Description
The roundtable, which was free and open to the public, examined the Commission’s proposed amendments to the Rule set forth in its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published on September 20, 2012.
The roundtable focused on the proposed amendment permitting a wetcleaning instruction and comments urging the Commission to require a wetcleaning instruction. The wetcleaning discussion also addressed: (1) the cost of substantiating wetcleaning instructions; (2) the availability of wetcleaning services; (3) consumer awareness of wetcleaning; and (4) the content of labels providing a wetcleaning instruction (e.g., instructing “professionally wetclean” versus “wetclean”).
The roundtable also explored issues relating to the use of care symbols and the Commission’s proposal to clarify the Rule’s reasonable basis requirements. These discussions addressed: (1) the differences between ASTM and ISO symbols and between the 2005 and 2012 ISO symbols; (2) whether to require that labels identify ISO symbols if used to comply with the Rule; (3) the change in the meaning of the circle P symbol in the ASTM system; (4) the absence of ASTM and ISO symbols for solvents other than perchloroethylene (perc) and petroleum; (5) consumer understanding of symbols; and (6) how to clarify the Rule’s reasonable basis requirements.
In addition, the roundtable provided participants with an opportunity to discuss other issues raised by comments filed in response to the NPRM.
The roundtable was held from 9:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the FTC’s satellite building conference center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The roundtable was open to the public.
The Commission accepted comments on the agenda topics, the issues discussed by the panelists at the roundtable, and the issues raised in comments received in response to the NPRM until April 11, 2014.
- FileAgenda (577.27 KB)
- FileBiographies (1.79 MB)
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Event Materials
FileText of the NPRM (266.38 KB)FileCare Labeling Rule Federal Register Notice (41.11 KB)FileSinsheimer FTC presentation (798.22 KB)DocumentRiggs FTC presentation (1.69 MB)
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Consumer and Business Education
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Transcript - Files
FileTranscript (433.26 KB)
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Location
Request for Comments
Any person also may submit written comments. The submission of comments is not required for participation in the roundtable
To File Electronically:
File your comment online at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/carelabelingruleroundtable by following the instructions on the web-based form.
To File in Paper Form:
If you file your comment on paper, write “Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR Part 423, Comment, Project No. R511915” on your comment and on the envelope, and mail or deliver it to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex M), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580. If possible, submit your paper comment or request to the Commission by courier or overnight service. If possible, submit your paper comment or request to the Commission by courier or overnight service because postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security screening.
To Request Confidential Treatment:
If you want the Commission to give your comment confidential treatment, you must file it in paper form, with a request for confidential treatment, and you have to follow the procedure explained in FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c). In particular, the written request for confidential treatment that accompanies the comment must include the factual and legal basis for the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from the public record. Your comment will be kept confidential only if the FTC General Counsel, in his or her sole discretion, grants your request in accordance with the law and the public interest.