To require certain sellers of goods to provide return labels as part of the delivery of such goods, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was …
Summary
What This Bill Does:
The Easy Returns Act requires large retailers with 500 or more employees to include pre-addressed, physical return labels with every consumer product they ship. The bill gives companies that offer alternative convenient return methods (like free at-home pickup) an exemption from this requirement. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these rules through its consumer protection authority.
Who Benefits and How:
Consumers benefit by receiving free return labels with their online purchases, making it easier to return unwanted or defective items without hunting for packaging materials or paying for labels. Smaller retailers (under 500 employees) gain a competitive advantage since they are exempt from this requirement. Shipping companies like UPS, FedEx, and USPS may see increased return shipment volume, generating additional revenue. Label printing and packaging companies will benefit from increased demand for return labels and materials.
Who Bears the Burden and How:
Large retailers and e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Target must absorb the costs of printing, including, and shipping return labels with every order. These companies face new compliance requirements including updating their shipping and logistics systems to include labels. The costs include printing materials, increased package weight (affecting shipping costs), and administrative overhead to ensure compliance. Companies must implement these changes within one year of the bill enactment.
Key Provisions:
- Retailers with 500+ employees must include physical return labels with all shipped consumer goods
- Exemptions for perishable items, custom/personalized goods that cannot be resold, and retailers offering free at-home pickup or other convenient alternatives
- FTC has 180 days to write detailed regulations implementing the law
- Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive practices under the FTC Act, subject to civil penalties
- The requirement takes effect one year after enactment, giving companies time to update their systems
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Requires large retailers (500+ employees) to include physical return labels with all shipped consumer goods
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Consumer protection through mandatory return convenience requirements, enforced via FTC regulatory authority"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Online shoppers and consumers (easier returns process)
- Shipping and logistics companies (increased return shipment volume)
- Small and medium retailers (competitive advantage vs large retailers who must comply)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Large retailers and e-commerce platforms with 500+ employees (compliance costs, label printing, shipping materials)
- Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other major online retailers (operational changes and costs)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_commission"
- → Federal Trade Commission
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A person who employed at least 500 employees in the preceding year
Physical goods that are perishable and not typically returned by a consumer after delivery
Goods that are custom made or personalized in a manner that prevents resale to another consumer if returned
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology