FTC Declines Proposal Comment Extension

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) members voted unanimously to deny extending the deadline to submit public comments on the agency’s Motor Vehicle Dealers Trade Regulation Rule.

The proposed rule, regulating add-on products offered by RV and other motor vehicle dealers, was proposed June 23. The proposal was published in the Federal Register on July 13, starting a 60-day comment period ending Sept. 12.

Numerous potential commenters inside and outside the industry requested additional time to provide comments. FTC commissioners officially denied the requests Aug. 23, leaving 20 days to submit comments.

In reaching the decision, commissioners said the public had ample time.

“The public will thus have had 80 days between the proposal’s announcement and the close of the comment period,” the commissioners said. “This period affords the public a meaningful opportunity to provide the commission with comments regarding its rulemaking proposal. Upon consideration of these facts and the requests, the commission declines to extend the period for public comment on its NPRM.”

FTC commissioners also said they appreciated “ongoing engagement” with stakeholders since a 2011 Federal Register notice invited feedback on the sale, financing and leasing of motor vehicles.

The 11-year-old notice, announcing the “first roundtable” on the issues, prefaced an event conducted at Wayne State University Law School on April 12, 2011. One other roundtable was conducted in August 2011 but did not address motor vehicle issues. The FTC has not moved forward with additional requests for comments on motor vehicle regulatory issues since.