The Consumer Federation of America’s Director of Consumer Protection, Erin Witte, submitted the following testimony prepared for the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Public Works and Operations in support of Bill No. 26-0174. The bill’s proposals to update and clarify the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), as well as the prohibited conduct listed in the statute, would ensure the CPPA is
modernized to mirror those in other states and that it is durable going forward in a rapidly changing economy with emerging threats. The bill would also ensure that the Office of the Attorney General has the tools it needs to effectively protect residents of the District from unscrupulous actors and audacious schemes, and to ensure that honest businesses do not suffer a competitive disadvantage.