Nadler, Collins, Johnson, Roby Introduce Bipartisan SHOP SAFE Act
Last Monday, U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Doug Collins (R-GA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Martha Roby (R-AL) introduced the Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-Commerce (SHOP SAFE) Act.
The act would curb the online sale of counterfeit products by incentivizing online shopping networks to vet their sellers and verify their legitimacy.
“American consumers increasingly turn to the internet to shop,” said Nadler. “Counterfeiters have followed consumers, and it is clear more must be done to combat the rising trend in online sales of counterfeit products. Consumers should be able to trust that what they see and purchase online is what they will get, but counterfeiters continue to join platforms with ease and masquerade as reliable sellers in order to infect American households with dangerous and unsafe counterfeit products. The SHOP SAFE Act proposes a set of commonsense measures to tackle the gaps in these platforms’ systems and stop counterfeit sales.”
Hoylman Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Price Gouging for Medical Supplies
Yesterday, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) introduced a bill to address price gouging of medical supplies during a public health crisis.
In response to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, retailers in Manhattan have ramped up prices for face masks, hand sanitizers and other medical supplies. Hoylman’s bill would prohibit those retailers from selling their products at an “unconscionable excessive price” during a health crisis (defined as a price greater than 10 percent higher than before the crisis began).
It’s said that after the storm come the vultures – and that’s exactly what could happen here if we don’t act now to stop price gouging in anticipation of the coronavirus outbreak here in New York,” said Hoylman. “Profiting off fear of disease is unconscionable. We can’t allow shady businesses to hike prices on the supplies New Yorkers need to stay safe and healthy, like hand sanitizer and face masks.”
Velázquez to Host “Know Your Rights” Workshop
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-LES, Brooklyn, Queens) will be hosting a community forum on the public charge rule tomorrow.
On Feb. 22, the Trump Administration announced the enactment of the public charge rule, which restricts access to green cards for immigrants who are likely to rely on government assistance. Velázquez, in collaboration with the New York Immigration Coalition, will teach attendees about the details of the rule and what they can do if they’re confronted by the ICE.
The event will take place tomorrow from 6-8 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 411 46th St.
