{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-7688","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 7688","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To protect consumers from price-gouging of consumer fuels, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To protect consumers from price-gouging of consumer fuels, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Title(s) from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2022-05-06","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-05-19","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h232","question":"On Passage","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act","result":"Passed","yea":217,"nay":207,"present":0,"not_voting":5,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll232.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 373.","date":"2022-05-19"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[{"number":"H.Amdt. 214","sponsor":"Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]","purpose":"Amendment requires the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an investigation to determine if the price of gasoline is being manipulated by reducing refinery capacity or by any other form of market manipulation or artificially increased by price gouging practices.","result":"Agreed to","date":"2022-05-19","yea":217,"nay":205,"present":0,"not_voting":6,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll229.xml"},{"number":"H.Amdt. 215","sponsor":"Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]","purpose":"Amendment establishes a new unit at Federal Trade Commission devoted to protecting public interest by monitoring fuel markets to facilitate transparent and competitive market practices.","result":"Agreed to","date":"2022-05-19","yea":214,"nay":207,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll230.xml"}],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-19","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Agreed to","yea":217,"nay":205,"present":0,"not_voting":6,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll229.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-19","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Agreed to","yea":214,"nay":207,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll230.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-19","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act","result":"Failed","yea":201,"nay":220,"present":0,"not_voting":7,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll231.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2022-05-19","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill prohibits any person from selling, during a proclaimed energy emergency, a consumer fuel at a price that (1) is unconscionably excessive, and (2) indicates that the seller is exploiting the emergency to increase prices unreasonably. The President may issue a proclamation of such an emergency that specifies the consumer fuel and geographic area covered and how long the proclamation applies."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill provides for enforcement of these provisions by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. Civil penalties collected by the commission through such enforcement must be used to provide assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program."},{"k":"p","t":"Additionally, the commission must investigate whether the price of gasoline is being manipulated through reducing refinery capacity or other manipulative practices. The commission also must establish a Transportation Fuel Monitoring and Enforcement Unit to collect, monitor, and analyze crude oil and transportation fuel market data."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill further includes specified transportation fuels within the prohibitions against (1) manipulative market practices, and (2) reporting false price information. It also increases the penalty for violations of those prohibitions."},{"k":"p","t":"Finally, the Energy Information Administration must survey energy companies to facilitate transparent and competitive crude oil and transportation fuel markets."}],"words":204},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Prohibits unconscionably excessive pricing of consumer fuels during a presidentially proclaimed energy emergency, and sets up fuel market data collection, monitoring and investigation by the Energy Information Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HC51FEF9F176F45098CD09AFA0E90B8FF"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HE470DF5B0E8B4D9CA0E085E8D7B5AF27"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#H380F4A7F936046649C2C062CE0CDD5C6"},{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HFB95F976CBF24D12991CD6755FF7A9DB"}]},"core_areas":["Price gouging of consumer fuels during energy emergencies","Enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and State attorneys general","Market manipulation and false information rules for transportation fuel","Energy Information Administration surveys of crude oil and transportation fuel markets","Federal Trade Commission investigation of gasoline prices","Transportation Fuel Monitoring and Enforcement Unit"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Makes it unlawful to sell a consumer fuel, at wholesale or retail, during a proclaimed energy emergency at a price that is unconscionably excessive and indicates the seller is exploiting the emergency to increase prices unreasonably.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HC51FEF9F176F45098CD09AFA0E90B8FF"}},{"text":"Allows the President to issue an energy emergency proclamation naming the area, the consumer fuel and the time period, which may not apply for more than 30 consecutive days at a time but may be renewed in periods of up to 30 days each.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HC51FEF9F176F45098CD09AFA0E90B8FF"}},{"text":"Has the Federal Trade Commission enforce the price prohibition as a violation of a rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice, and allows State attorneys general to bring civil actions over retail sales.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HC51FEF9F176F45098CD09AFA0E90B8FF"}},{"text":"Changes the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 so its market manipulation and false information prohibitions apply to transportation fuel, and raises a penalty figure in section 814(a) from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#H6DA4B591A27C47379CB59F073E7A24C9"}},{"text":"Directs the Energy Information Administration to survey energy companies on United States crude oil and transportation fuel markets, publish analyses of the results, and enter a data-sharing agreement with the Federal Trade Commission within 1 year of enactment.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HE470DF5B0E8B4D9CA0E085E8D7B5AF27"}},{"text":"Requires the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether gasoline prices are being manipulated or artificially increased by price gouging, to report to Congress within 270 days of enactment, and authorizes $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 for this work.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#H380F4A7F936046649C2C062CE0CDD5C6"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"selective_carve_out","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HC51FEF9F176F45098CD09AFA0E90B8FF"},"heading":"Unconscionable pricing of consumer fuels during emergencies","effect":"Directs the Federal Trade Commission to give enforcement priority to companies whose total United States wholesale or retail consumer fuel sales exceed $500,000,000 per year.","amount":"$500,000,000","quote":"the Commission shall give priority to enforcement actions concerning companies with total United States wholesale or retail sales of consumer fuels in excess of $500,000,000 per year"},{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#HE470DF5B0E8B4D9CA0E085E8D7B5AF27"},"heading":"Transportation fuel market transparency","effect":"Requires Energy Information Administration surveys of energy companies on crude oil and transportation fuel markets, but directs that companies with a de minimis market presence or impact be exempted from the surveys.","amount":null,"quote":"The Administrator shall exempt an energy company from participating in the surveys conducted under subparagraph (A) if the energy company has a de minimis market presence or impact, as determined by the Administrator."}]},{"category":"process_change","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh#H380F4A7F936046649C2C062CE0CDD5C6"},"heading":"FTC investigation and report on gasoline prices","effect":"Exempts the Federal Trade Commission's information collection for its gasoline price investigation from the Paperwork Reduction Act (chapter 35 of title 44).","amount":null,"quote":"Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to the collection of information under subsection (a)."}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2022-05-19","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-7688.png","v":"6a9a37c8e473","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 7688, 117th Congress: Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act. House: 217 Yea, 207 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 19 May 2022."}}