Bill Closing Fur Loophole Cleared for Action on House Floor
Congressman Jim Moran, Democrat from Virginia and co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, lauded passage of the Truth in Fur Labeling Act out of a key House committee today. The Committee on Energy and Commerce approved H.R. 2480 unanimously by voice vote, clearing the way for its consideration on the House floor.
“I want to thank Chairman Waxman and the Committee for acting swiftly to pass this bill and close the loophole in current fur labeling law,” Moran said. “The Truth in Fur Labeling Act will ensure that people with allergies or ethical objections to fur products, or those who have concerns about the use of certain species for fur production, have the information they need to make educated purchasing decisions.”
In accordance with the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951, labels disclosing the name of the species, the manufacturer, the country of origin and other pertinent information for consumers are required on fur products sold in the United States. That law, however, exempts products with a “relatively small quantity or value.”
“The Federal Trade Commission puts the threshold at $150—which means it’s perfectly legal for garments under $150 that contain multiple animal pelts to be sold without a label. This bill would remove the small value exemption, requiring the full and accurate labeling of all fur products,” said Moran.
Investigations conducted by the Humane Society of United States found a proliferation of falsely labeled and falsely advertised fur on fashion clothing sold by some of the largest names in U.S. retailing. Of the fur-trimmed jackets subjected to mass spectrometry testing by HSUS, 96 percent were found to be domestic dog, wolf or raccoon dog, and either mislabeled or not labeled at all.