Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60
§7609 Study and Report
Title 15 › Chapter 102— FAIRNESS TO CONTACT LENS CONSUMERS › § 7609
Summary
Federal Trade Commission must study how strong competition is for prescription contact lenses. It must examine exclusive deals between prescribers or sellers and manufacturers; differences between online and in‑store sellers (price, access, availability); prescriptions that specify brand or custom‑labeled lenses (how often, why, effects); the FTC eyeglasses rule and its enforcement; and competition issues. FTC Chair must report to Congress within 12 months of chapter’s effective date.
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 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60