Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 26, 2011
Freedom of Health Speech Act - Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to prohibit the content of any publication from being considered advertising regulated under the Act unless the content is intended by a product seller to promote that product's sale and the content includes the name of the product, an express offer to sell, and a purchase price. Prohibits any content excerpted in whole or part from a peer-reviewed scientific publication from being considered advertising regulated under the Act.
Prohibits the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from attributing to an advertiser any advertising statement not actually made by that advertiser.
Requires the FTC to notify an advertiser of a dietary supplement before authorizing an investigation of false advertisement and include a date by which the advertiser may voluntarily discontinue use of the statement. Prohibits the FTC from beginning an investigation of possible false advertising regarding a dietary supplement or a dietary ingredient unless the FTC already possesses clear and convincing evidence that the advertisement is false and misleading. Places the burden of proof on the FTC to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that an advertisement for a dietary supplement or dietary ingredient is false, that the advertisement actually caused consumers to be misled into believing to be true that which is false, and that, but for the false advertising content, the consumer would not have made the purchase at the price paid. Requires the FTC to prove that a health claim alleged to be false advertising is false based on expert scientific opinion and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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