The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed new labeling requirements for lamps, commonly referred to as "light bulbs," in response to a congressional mandate. The proposed labels would provide consumers with clear, easily understandable information to help them choose among different bulb types, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diode products, as traditional incandescent bulbs are phased out.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comment, published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2009, outlines the proposed requirements and seeks comments on new labels that would emphasize lumens, not watts, as the measure of bulb brightness. This information, along with estimated energy cost information, would appear on the front of the light bulb package. The back of the package would display a "Lighting Facts" label modeled after the "Nutrition Facts" label on food packages. The Lighting Facts label would provide information about brightness, energy cost, the bulb's life expectancy, color temperature and wattage. The label also would require disclosures for bulbs containing mercury. The bulb's output in lumens – and a mercury disclosure for bulbs that contain mercury – would also have to be placed on the bulb itself. The FTC will accept comments on the proposed labeling rule through December 28, 2009.