To prohibit a person from making a misleading recycled content claim in advertising, marketing, selling, or offering for sale a product to a consumer, and for other purposes.

On February 11, 2026, Rep. Langworthy introduced HR7502 in the 119th Congress, which would prohibit companies from making misleading recycled content claims in advertising and marketing of consumer products. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has had no further action. With only 9 cosponsors and no companion bill in the Senate, the legislative path is uphill — committee markup is the next hurdle that would signal real momentum.

The bill's mechanism is a federal consumer protection standard: it defines what constitutes a 'misleading recycled content claim' and creates liability for violators. This is a regulatory compliance cost bill — it does not authorize any spending, create tax credits, or establish a new program. The funding mechanism is zero; the economic impact is entirely from increased legal and operational costs for covered manufacturers.

Structural losers are consumer goods manufacturers with extensive recycled content marketing across multiple categories. PG (laundry, paper, personal care), KO and PEP (beverage packaging), KMB (tissue and personal care), and CL (oral care, home care) all face compliance costs for documenting and certifying recycled content claims. These companies derive zero revenue benefit from the bill — it is a pure cost imposition.

Real market data shows these stocks trading near their 52-week midranges with mixed recent performance. PG at $147.17 is down 0.68% over 7 days but up 1.89% over 30 days — near the lower half of its $137.62–$170.99 range. KO at $78.76 is up 2.78% over 7 days and 3.56% over 30 days, near the top of its $65.35–$82 range. PEP at $158.44 is up 1.92% over 7 days and 2.02% over 30 days. KMB at $97.31 is down 0.55% over 7 days and up 0.87% over 30 days, near the bottom of its $92.42–$144.31 range. CL at $85.38 is up 0.86% over 7 days and 0.18% over 30 days. The market has not priced in HR7502 risk, and at current legislative velocity, it likely won't for the foreseeable future.

Timeline: The bill must clear the Energy and Commerce Committee, pass the House, find a Senate sponsor, clear Senate committee, pass the Senate, and be signed by the President. With only 3 actions all on the same day (introduction and referral), the legislative pace is stalled. No further actions have occurred in over two months. The window for passage in this Congress is narrowing.