Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§6302 Prohibited acts

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 77— - ENERGY CONSERVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY › Part Part A— - Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles › § 6302

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is illegal for manufacturers, labelers, sellers, or others to put certain new products on the market unless those products have the labels required by the rules under section 6294, or to remove or hide those required labels. Companies must let the government see and copy required records and must give required reports and information. They must follow certain duties in section 6296(a), (b)(2), (b)(3), and (b)(5). Makers cannot sell new products that fail to meet energy conservation standards (unless a stricter regional standard applies). They also may not knowingly sell to dealers who routinely break regional standards. Selling adapters that let non‑medium‑base incandescent lamps fit medium screw sockets and work at least partly between 110 and 130 volts is banned. For grid‑enabled water heaters, it is illegal to activate locks, provide activation keys, enable full operation, or remove required labels when you know the heater is not part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program. Definition: "New covered product" — a product that has not been sold to a buyer who will keep it for use (rather than resell it or lease it for more than one year).

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §6302

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be unlawful—
(1)for any manufacturer or private labeler to distribute in commerce any new covered product to which a rule under section 6294 of this title applies, unless such covered product is labeled in accordance with such rule;
(2)for any manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or private labeler to remove from any new covered product or render illegible any label required to be provided with such product under a rule under section 6294 of this title;
(3)for any manufacturer to fail to permit access to, or copying of, records required to be supplied under this part, or fail to make reports or provide other information required to be supplied under this part;
(4)for any person to fail to comply with an applicable requirement of section 6296(a), (b)(2), (b)(3), or (b)(5) of this title;
(5)for any manufacturer or private labeler to distribute in commerce any new covered product which is not in conformity with an applicable energy conservation standard established in or prescribed under this part, except to the extent that the new covered product is covered by a regional standard that is more stringent than the base national standard;
(6)for any manufacturer or private labeler to knowingly sell a product to a distributor, contractor, or dealer with knowledge that the entity routinely violates any regional standard applicable to the product;
(7)for any manufacturer, distributor, retailer, or private labeler to distribute in commerce an adapter that—
(A)is designed to allow an incandescent lamp that does not have a medium screw base to be installed into a fixture or lampholder with a medium screw base socket; and
(B)is capable of being operated at a voltage range at least partially within 110 and 130 volts; or
(8)for any person—
(A)to activate an activation lock for a grid-enabled water heater with knowledge that such water heater is not used as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program;
(B)to distribute an activation key for a grid-enabled water heater with knowledge that such activation key will be used to activate a grid-enabled water heater that is not used as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program;
(C)to otherwise enable a grid-enabled water heater to operate at its designed specification and capabilities with knowledge that such water heater is not used as part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program; or
(D)to knowingly remove or render illegible the label of a grid-enabled water heater described in section 6295(e)(6)(A)(ii)(V) of this title.
(b)For purposes of this section, the term “new covered product” means a covered product the title of which has not passed to a purchaser who buys such product for purposes other than (1) reselling such product, or (2) leasing such product for a period in excess of one year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(6) to (8). Pub. L. 114–11 redesignated par. (6) relating to prohibition of distribution in commerce of certain adapters as (7) and added par. (8). 2007—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 110–140, § 321(e)(1), which directed the striking out of “or” after semicolon at end, could not be executed after amendment by Pub. L. 110–140, § 306(b)(1). See below. Pub. L. 110–140, § 306(b)(1), struck out “or” after semicolon at end. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 110–140, § 321(e)(2), which directed substitution of “; or” for period at end, could not be executed after amendment by Pub. L. 110–140, § 306(b)(2). See below. Pub. L. 110–140, § 306(b)(2), substituted “part, except to the extent that the new covered product is covered by a regional standard that is more stringent than the base national standard; or” for “part.” Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 110–140, § 321(e)(3), added par. (6) relating to prohibition of distribution in commerce of certain adapters. Pub. L. 110–140, § 306(b)(3), added par. (6) relating to sale of a product to a distributor, contractor, or dealer with knowledge that the entity routinely violates a regional standard. 1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–12, § 11(b)(5)(A), inserted heading. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 100–12, § 11(a)(3), substituted “energy conservation standard established in or prescribed under” for “energy efficiency standard prescribed under”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–12, § 11(b)(5)(B), inserted heading.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2007 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–140 effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 6302

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73