Senate Democrats Seek to Bring Back FTC’s Consumer Refund Power

A new bill from Senate Democrats would bring back the Federal Trade Commission’s ability to seek monetary awards for consumers in court.

Under the proposed Consumer Protection Remedies Act of 2022, the commission could ask a federal judge to order the return of money wrongfully taken from consumers and the forfeiture of ill-gotten gains. The legislation also would make clear that the FTC can sue a business over prior practices, not just ongoing conduct.

The bill would restore an agency authority that the U.S. Supreme Court curtailed last year in a case concerning payday loans. The FTC’s commissioners called on ...