PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Apr 27, 2009
Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act - Makes it unlawful, during a period proclaimed by the President as an energy emergency, to sell gasoline or any other petroleum distillate at a price that: (1) is unconscionably excessive; or (2) indicates the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances of an emergency to increase prices unreasonably.
Authorizes the President to issue an energy emergency proclamation of up to 30 days, with renewals allowed, and to cite the geographic area, gasoline or other petroleum distillate, and time period covered.
Authorizes a proclamation to include a period of up to one week preceding a reasonably foreseeable emergency.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Exempts from this Act a sale of gasoline or other petroleum distillate transaction on a futures market.
Empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general to enforce this Act. Prescribes civil and criminal penalties for violations, but limits the criminal penalty to criminal actions brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Allows a state to bring a civil action to enforce this Act or to impose civil penalties.
Requires deposit of fines and penalties collected under this Act in a separate Consumer Relief Trust Fund in the Treasury to provide assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Program.
Declares that nothing in this Act preempts state law.
People & committees
Rep. Stupak, Bart [D-MI-1] · D–MI
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Referred to House Education and Labor
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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