Title 16
SECTION 305.7
305.7 Prohibited acts.
§ 305.7 Prohibited acts. Link to an amendment published at 86 FR 9282, Feb. 12, 2021.(a) It shall be unlawful and subject to the enforcement penalties of section 333 of the Act, as adjusted for inflation pursuant to § 1.98 of this chapter, for each unit of any new covered product to which the part applies:
(1) For any manufacturer or private labeler knowingly to distribute in commerce any new covered product unless such covered product is marked and/or labeled in accordance with this part with a marking, label, hang tag, or energy fact sheet which conforms to the provisions of the Act and this part.
(2) For any manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or private labeler knowingly to remove or render illegible any marking or label required to be provided with such product by this part.
(3) For any manufacturer or private labeler knowingly to distribute in commerce any new covered product, if there is not included (i) on the label, (ii) separately attached to the product, or (iii) shipped with the product, additional information relating to energy consumption or energy efficiency which conforms to the requirements in this part.
(b) Subject to enforcement penalties assessed per model per day of violation pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6303 and adjusted for inflation by § 1.98 of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any manufacturer or private labeler knowingly to:
(1) Refuse a request by the Commission or its designated representative for access to, or copying of, records required to be supplied under this part.
(2) Refuse to make reports or provide upon request by the Commission or its designated representative any information required to be supplied under this part.
(3) Refuse upon request by the Commission or its designated representative to permit a representative designated by the Commission to observe any testing required by this part while such testing is being conducted or to inspect the results of such testing. This section shall not limit the Commission from requiring additional testing under this part.
(4) Refuse, when requested by the Commission or its designated representative, to supply at the manufacturer's expense, no more than two of each model of each covered product to any laboratory designated by the Commission for the purpose of ascertaining whether the information in catalogs or set out on the label or marked on the product as required by this part is accurate. This action will be taken only after review of a manufacturer's testing records and an opportunity to revalidate test data has been extended to the manufacturer.
(5) Distribute in commerce any catalog containing a listing for a covered product without the information required by § 305.27 of this part. This subsection shall also apply to distributors and retailers.
(6) Fail to make a label for a covered product available on a publicly accessible Web site in accordance with § 305.9. This provision applies only to manufacturers.
(c) Pursuant to section 333(c) of the Act, it shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of section 5(a)(1) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1)) for any manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or private labeler in or affecting commerce to display or distribute at point of sale any printed material applicable to a covered product under this rule if such printed material does not contain the information required by § 305.26. This requirement does not apply to any broadcast advertisement or to any advertisement in a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical.
(d)(1) It shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of section 5(a)(1) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1), for any manufacturer, distributor, retailer or private labeler to make any representation in or affecting commerce, in writing (including a representation on a label) or in any broadcast advertisement, with respect to the energy use or efficiency or, in the case of showerheads, faucets, water closets, and urinals, water use of a covered product to which a test procedure is applicable under section 323 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 6293, or the cost of energy consumed by such product, unless such product has been tested in accordance with such test procedure and such representation fairly discloses the results of such testing.
(2) Effective 180 days after an amended or new test procedure applicable to a covered product is prescribed or established under section 323(b) of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 6293(b), it shall be an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of section 5(a)(1) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1), for any manufacturer, distributor, retailer or private labeler to make any representation in or affecting commerce, in writing (including a representation on a label) or in any broadcast advertisement, with respect to the energy use or efficiency or, in the case of showerheads, faucets, water closets and urinals, water use of such product, or cost of energy consumed by such product, unless the product has been tested in accordance with such amended or new test procedures and such representation fairly discloses the results of such testing. This requirement is not limited to consumer appliance products covered by the labeling requirements of this part.
(e) This part shall not apply to:
(1) Any covered product if it is manufactured, imported, sold, or held for sale for export from the United States, so long as such product is not in fact distributed in commerce for use in the United States, and such covered product or the container thereof bears a stamp or label stating that such covered product is intended for export.
(2) Televisions manufactured before May 10, 2011.
(f) As used in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the term knowingly means:
(1) The having of actual knowledge, or
(2) The presumed having of knowledge deemed to be possessed by a reasonable person who acts in the circumstances, including knowledge obtainable upon the exercise of due care.
[52 FR 46894, Dec. 10, 1987, as amended at 54 FR 28035, July 5, 1989; 58 FR 54964, Oct. 25, 1993; 59 FR 49563, Sept. 28, 1994; 59 FR 67526, Dec. 29, 1994; 61 FR 54549, Oct. 21, 1996; 72 FR 49966, Aug. 29, 2007; 76 FR 1050, Jan. 6, 2011; 78 FR 2207, Jan. 10, 2013. Redesignated at 84 FR 58029, Oct. 30, 2019, as amended at 84 FR 58032, Oct. 30, 2019]