House passes ‘E-labeling’ bill

The House on Thursday passed legislation to promote electronic labeling on devices.

Passed 402-0, the measure would direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish regulations to allow manufacturers of radiofrequency devices to use electronic labeling, also known as “e-labeling,” instead of physical labels to show that devices are approved for commercial use.

{mosads}Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), the measure’s sponsor, said e-labeling would be a more efficient practice.

“Not only does it give greater flexibility to design consumer products, by by some estimates e-labeling will save manufacturers over $80 million a year,” Latta said.

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) said it would help companies save money.

“It will lower production costs for device manufactures, since affixing labels can require significant design time,” Matheson said. “Working together with the FCC, we can speed the delivery of new devices in the marketplace.”