Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

H.B. 669
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                                            Apr 17, 2023
                                      SESSION 2023                                    HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
     H                                                                                               D
                                   HOUSE BILL DRH40366-MV-16
     Short Title:   Task Force/Fair Publishing of Reviews.                                     (Public)
     Sponsors:      Representative Pike.
     Referred to:
                                    A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON THE FAIR
     PUBLISHING OF CROWD-SOURCED REVIEWS TO STUDY THE PRACTICES OF
     PUBLISHING PLATFORMS AND THE IMPACT OF THOSE PRACTICES ON NORTH
     CAROLINA BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
            SECTION 1. There is established the North Carolina Task Force on the Fair
 Publishing of Crowd-Sourced Reviews (Task Force). The purpose of the Task Force is to (i)
 study the practices of platforms publishing crowd-sourced reviews, (ii) study the relationship
 between those practices and the public's ability to accurately assess businesses, and (iii)
 recommend initiatives that are appropriately compliant with federal law but that are tailored to
 needs and goals of North Carolina consumers and businesses. In carrying out this study, the Task
 Force shall examine the following:
            (1)     The substance and ordering of reviews published by a platform as compared
                    to the substance and ordering of reviews submitted to the publishing platform.
            (2)     The correlation, if any, between revenue received by the platform operator
                    from businesses and the substance and ordering of reviews for those
                    businesses as compared to other businesses reviewed on the platform.
            (3)     The ability of business owners to request and acquire from the platform
                    contact information for reviewers leaving negative reviews.
            (4)     The financial cost to North Carolina businesses and consumers of any
                    publishing practices the Task Force deems unfair and the comparative
                    projected impact of implementing fairer practices. The Task Force shall give
                    particular attention to the costs and projected impacts for North Carolina small
                    businesses.
            (5)     Feasible steps the State can take to encourage or require fairer publishing
                    practices.
            SECTION 2. The Task Force shall consist of 13 members to be appointed as follows:
            (1)     One Representative and one public member appointed by the Speaker of the
                    House of Representatives.
            (2)     One Senator and one public member appointed by the President Pro Tempore
                    of the Senate.
            (3)     The leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives, or the
                    leader's designee, and one public member appointed by the minority party
                    leader.
                                    *DRH40366-MV-16*
     General Assembly Of North Carolina                                                      Session 2023
             (4)     The leader of the minority party in the Senate, or the leader's designee, and
                     one public member appointed by the minority party leader.
              (5)    Five attorneys licensed to practice law in North Carolina appointed by the
                     Business Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.
              SECTION 3. The Task Force shall have two cochairs, one designated by the Speaker
 of the House of Representatives and one designated by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
 The Task Force shall meet upon the joint call of the cochairs, and the cochairs shall convene the
 first meeting as soon as practicable after appointments have been made.
              SECTION 4. The Legislative Services Commission shall grant adequate meeting
 space to the Task Force in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. The
 Legislative Services Commission shall allocate from a portion of the funds appropriated to the
 General Assembly sufficient funds for the operation of the Task Force. The Legislative Services
 Commission, through the Legislative Services Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the
 Task Force in its work. The Directors of Legislative Assistants for the House of Representatives
 and the Senate shall assign clerical staff to the Task Force, and the expenses relating to the clerical
 employees shall be borne by the Task Force. The Task Force may contract for professional,
 clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02. Members of the Task Force shall
 receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates provided in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as
 appropriate.
              SECTION 5. The Task Force shall submit a final report on the results of its study
 and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the General Assembly on or before
 May 1, 2024, by filing a copy of the report with the Offices of the Speaker of the House of
 Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Task Force shall terminate on
 May 1, 2024, or upon the filing of the final report, whichever occurs first.
              SECTION 6. This act is effective when it becomes law.
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