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House amends consumer-protection bill to remove criminal penalties, clarifies return/shipping rules
Summary
Delegates amended House Bill 194 (consumer protection: veil sales and reimbursement) to remove criminal penalties and to clarify when retailers or shippers must reimburse shipping costs. The floor adopted an amendment striking criminal penalties and later accepted a friendly amendment tightening retailer-fault language.
House members considered House Bill 194, described on the floor as concerning consumer protections for veil sales and reimbursement of shipping costs. During floor consideration, delegates debated penalty provisions and the mechanics of reimbursement for returned goods.
The sponsor and other members raised concerns that the bill's original penalties were too severe. The floor leader offered and moved an amendment to strike criminal penalties from the bill and to revise the text to remove criminal sanction language; that amendment was adopted after a voice vote, with the chair explaining the change would remove criminal penalties from the legislation.
A separate amendment offered by another delegate was described as a friendly amendment that clarified the process by which a retail establishment or shipper effectuate return shipping and reimbursement. The amendment tightened language to require that reimbursement apply when the return was due to fault or mistake by the retailer or shipper and refined timeframes for returns. The floor accepted the amendment as friendly and it was adopted.
Sponsors said the combined changes reflect committee discussions about proportional penalties and the need for clearer standards when retailers or shippers are responsible for returns. With the criminal-penalty provision removed and the clarified fault/timeframe language added, the bill was ordered printed for third reading as amended.
