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Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§7609 Study and report

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 102— - FAIRNESS TO CONTACT LENS CONSUMERS › § 7609

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Federal Trade Commission must study how competitive the market is for prescription contact lenses. The study will look at things like exclusive deals between prescribers or sellers and manufacturers and how they affect competition; differences between online and in‑store sellers (price, access, availability); how often prescriptions require a brand or custom labeled lens and why; how the FTC eyeglasses rule (16 CFR 456 et seq.) and its enforcement affect competition; and any other competition issues. Within 12 months after the law takes effect, the FTC Chairman must send Congress a report with the study results.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §7609

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Federal Trade Commission shall undertake a study to examine the strength of competition in the sale of prescription contact lenses. The study shall include an examination of the following issues:
(1)Incidence of exclusive relationships between prescribers or sellers and contact lens manufacturers and the impact of such relationships on competition.
(2)Difference between online and offline sellers of contact lenses, including price, access, and availability.
(3)Incidence, if any, of contact lens prescriptions that specify brand name or custom labeled contact lenses, the reasons for the incidence, and the effect on consumers and competition.
(4)The impact of the Federal Trade Commission eyeglasses rule (16 CFR 456 et seq.) on competition, the nature of the enforcement of the rule, and how such enforcement has impacted competition.
(5)Any other issue that has an impact on competition in the sale of prescription contact lenses.
(b)Not later than 12 months after the effective date of this chapter, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall submit to the Congress a report of the study required by subsection (a).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For

Effective Date

of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), see section 12 of Pub. L. 108–164, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 7601 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 60 days after Dec. 6, 2003, see section 12 of Pub. L. 108–164, set out as a note under section 7601 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 7609

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73