Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2621, the Consumer Product Protection Act of 2002, would prohibit any person from knowingly stamping…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2621, the Consumer Product Protection Act of 2002, would prohibit any person from knowingly stamping, printing, placing, or inserting any writing in or on any consumer product prior to its sale without the consent of the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer of such product. Under current law, tampering with a product's packaging is not illegal, as long as it does not cause the labeling to be false or misleading or endanger the health or safety of consumers. Consumer protection laws, therefore, fail to address conduct which, although it does not adulterate the actual product or alter its labeling, is still harmful to business and consumers. Product tampering transforms businesses' desirable products into vehicles for undesirable messages. Businesses should be able to control the messages associated with their products, and persons who interfere with those products and harm the image of their company should be prosecuted. Recent product tampering cases have shown that adults and children across the country have been subjected to violent, racist, gory, or otherwise offensive materials placed between layers of packaging.”