District of Columbia mayor passes bill to make code consistent with FTC, federal court interpretations of unfair or deceptive trade practices

State Issues State Legislation Consumer Protection FTC

On May 21, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed B22-0185/D.C. Act 22-367 to, among other things, update portions of the District of Columbia’s Official Code concerning the term “unfair or deceptive trade practice” to make it consistent with interpretations made by the FTC and federal courts. Language under the Consumer Protection Clarification and Enhancement Amendment Act of 2018, has been amended to read as follows: “It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to engage in an unfair or deceptive trade practice, whether or not any consumer is in fact misled, deceived, or damaged thereby.” The amendments also increase the civil penalty for first violations of the act to not more than $5,000 per violation, and to not more than $10,000 for repeat violations. The act will take effect following a 30-day congressional review period.