FTC gets new power to force refunds and cancel unfair contracts
H.R. 10003 — Consumer Protection and Recovery Act · Filed by Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 30, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands the Federal Trade Commission's power to seek and win court orders against companies that violate consumer protection laws. Specifically, it allows the FTC to demand that courts order companies to pay back money to harmed consumers (restitution), cancel or fix unfair contracts, return property, and disgorge (surrender) profits illegally obtained—remedies the FTC previously had limited ability to pursue. The bill applies retroactively to violations occurring within the past 10 years and to all pending and future cases.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative purpose is to broaden the FTC's remedial toolkit in enforcement actions—adding restitution, disgorgement, and contract reformation to the agency's existing injunction authority. It is a straightforward expansion of regulatory power in favor of consumer protection.
What the text implies
- The 10-year lookback window, combined with the exclusion of time spent outside the US, may allow the FTC to pursue older violations against individuals or entities with international ties, potentially reviving stale claims.
- Retroactive application to pending cases means companies currently defending FTC suits face new remedial exposure they did not anticipate when litigation began, creating settlement pressure.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
consumers harmed by unfair or deceptive practices; state attorneys general (who may coordinate with FTC)