July 21, 2010

H.R. 4678, the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2010, has been forwarded to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The intent of the legislation is to hold foreign manufacturers accountable for injuries caused by their products and establish jurisdiction over foreign manufacturers in U.S. courts.

Specifically, the bill would require foreign manufacturers of products imported into the United States to designate a registered agent who is authorized to accept service of process against such manufacturers.  The agent would have to be located in a state with a substantial connection to the importation, distribution, or sale of the products of the manufacturer.  inally, the bill states that if a manufacturer does not designate a registered agent, its products may not be imported into the United States.

H.R. 4678 is a bipartisan bill with 61 cosponsors. A companion bill, S. 1606, has been introduced in the Senate.

More about H.R. 4678. (Library of Congress)