S. 1606 (111th): Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009

Introduced:
Aug 06, 2009 (111th Congress, 2009–2010)
Sponsor:
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]
Status:
Died (Referred to Committee)
See Instead:
This bill was re-introduced as S. 1946 (112th) on Dec 05, 2011.

The bill’s title was written by the bill’s sponsor. S. stands for Senate bill.

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Status

This bill was introduced on August 6, 2009, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.

Progress
Introduced Aug 06, 2009
Referred to Committee Aug 06, 2009
Cosponsors
15 cosponsors (12D, 3R) (show)
Committees

Senate Finance

The committee chair determines whether a bill will move past the committee stage.

Full Title

A bill to require foreign manufacturers of products imported into the United States to establish registered agents in the United States who are authorized to accept service of process against such manufacturers, and for other purposes.

Summary

No summaries available.

Text

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Last updated Aug 06, 2009.
13 pages

Primary Source

View on THOMAS (The Library of Congress)

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Citation

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GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

8/6/2009--Introduced.
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.

House Republican Conference Summary

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No summary available.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

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The bill contains the following citations to other parts of U.S. law:

United States Code

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