REP. FLORIO WILL CHAIR NEW HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE

REP. FLORIO WILL CHAIR NEW HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE with legislative jurisdiction over product liability, consumer product safety, and trade issues. The New Jersey Democrat assumes chairmanship of the Commerce, Consumer Protection & Competitiveness Subcommittee pursuant to Jan. 27 adoption of House subcommittee assignments by the Committee Democratic Caucus.

Product liability and consumer protection issues formerly were within the jurisdiction of the Commerce/Health Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Waxman (D-Calif). Florio's committee is being organized under Rep. Dingell's (D-Mich.) Energy & Commerce Cmte.

Rep. Luken (D-Ohio) was rumored to be Dingell's choice for chairman of a trade subcommittee with jurisdiction over product liability issues. Luken instead will chair the new Transportation & Hazardous Materials Subcommittee. The House Ways & Means Committee has established a subcommittee on trade, which will be a priority issue in the 100th Congress.

Although New Jersey is the home of many pharmaceutical companies, Florio's district includes the city of Camden and a heavy concentration of petrochemical plants. Formerly chairman of the Commerce, Transportation & Tourism Subcommittee, he has been actively involved in Superfund legislation. In 1985, Florio joined Rep. Waxman's health subcmte. Florio sponsored a 1984 bill against trademark counterfeiting. That bill would authorize FTC to initiate seizure and civil actions against alleged counterfeiters.