§2823 Administration and Enforcement Provisions

Summary

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gets the power to make and enforce rules about automotive fuel ratings. The FTC can write rules, define key words, require reports and documents, and investigate and enforce these rules using the same tools it has under the FTC Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can test fuel at retail stations, send test results to the FTC, and tell the FTC when a station fails to post its fuel rating. The FTC may make agreements with the EPA and other federal agencies to share work, cut inspection costs, and avoid repeating the same checks. Within 6 months after June 19, 1978, the FTC must create a single way to certify a fuel’s rating and a single way to show that rating at the point of sale. After those rules take effect, people only meet the law if they follow those methods. The FTC can also set different testing methods if they are easier to use or fit industry practice, and it may allow adjustments for altitude, temperature, and humidity. If the FTC finds a better way to rate blended fuels, it can require that method. Rulemaking must follow the normal administrative process and give people chances to speak or submit comments; some rules require a formal hearing. Breaking these rules counts as an unfair or deceptive act under the FTC Act and is subject to the same penalties.