Washington, D.C. – This evening, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 1359 – The E-Warranty Act of 2015. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) would modernize warranty requirements and allow manufacturers to save paper and printing costs by posting warranties online. The bill was passed unanimously out of the Commerce Committee in May.

Senator Fischer released the following statement:

“This bipartisan bill would provide manufacturers with the option of posting their warranty information online and encourages greater flexibility for job creators while offering better tools for consumers.

“The world is changing, and our technology is getting smaller, faster, and more efficient. Our laws must follow suit.”

Senator Nelson released the following statement:

“We’re one step closer to giving consumers and businesses the ability to take advantage of new and improving online technologies to help with their commerce.”

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules are unclear as to whether manufacturers are permitted to meet their warranty notice requirements online. The E-Warranty Act streamlines warranty notice rules and provides explicit direction to manufacturers, making it clear that they have the option to meet their warranty requirements on their company’s website. The online option:

 

ü  Provides relief to manufacturers and sellers to improve efficiency.

ü  Boosts consumer access to warranty information.

ü  Advances common-sense environmental benefits by reducing waste.

ü  Promotes U.S. global competitiveness in the Internet of Things and domestic economy.

ü  Modernizes government rules to better reflect the digital age we live in.

ü  Preserves robust consumer protections for warranty access.

The principles of the E-Warranty Act – to modernize manufacturing requirements – mirror those in Senator Fischer’s E-LABEL Act, which was signed into law last Congress. In the age of the Internet of Things, consumers expect to get information online in an easy and efficient manner.

 Click here to view text of S. 1359 – The E-Warranty Act.

 

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