SENATE BILL: Common Chargers Act (Tabled)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

SENATE BILL

To mandate companies to settle on a common charger for mobile phones and radio equipment

Be it enacted in both Houses of Congress Assembled,

Section 1: Name
1. This bill may be referred to as the "Common Chargers Act"

Section 2: Findings
Congress finds the following:
1. The Atlasian market is not exploiting its full potential and market fragmentation for chargers for phones and other small and medium-sized electronics translates into an increase in e-waste and consumer frustration
2. Consumers are still having to acquire different chargers when buying new devices from different sellers and a new charger when purchasing a new device
3. Voluntary agreements, although significantly decreasing the number of charger types available on the market, have proved unsuccessful in terms of achieving a common charging solution
4. 50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated globally per year, an unnecessary environmental footprint that can be reduced

Section 3: The position of Congress
1. Congress strongly stresses the need for Atlasian regulatory action to reduce electronic waste and empower consumers to make sustainable choices
2. Congress emphasises the need for a standard for a common charger for mobile radio equipment to be adopted as a matter of urgency in order to avoid further internal market fragmentation

Section 4: Actions to take by the Atlasian government
1. Within 2 years from the passage of this act, the Atlasian government shall introduce a common charger standard for mobile phones and other small and medium sized radio equipment through a government directive
2. Without hampering innovation, the Atlasian government should ensure that the directives for a common charger will be scrutinised regularly in order to take into account technical progress
3. Whereas wireless charging technology entails additional potential benefits such as mitigating e-waste many mobile telephones already use wireless charging methods. Therefore the Atlasian government shall make sure that fragmentation in this area is avoided and measures to ensure interoperability of wireless chargers with different equipment are taken.
4. These government directives and regulations shall be drafted in cooperation from relevant stakeholders
5. These government directives and regulations shall ensure that consumers are no longer obliged to buy new chargers with each new device, thereby reducing the volume of chargers produced per year; as well as encouraging decoupling strategies, though higher prices for consumers should be avoided.

Section 5: Enactment
1. This bill shall become enacted 7 days after passage

Sponsor: tack50
Senate Designation: SB24:07

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Initial Debate Period Commences, Sponsor has 24 hours for advocacy followed by 48 hours for everyone else.

I recall a heated Discord discussion about this a few months back, so I am hopeful for some good quality interest in this bill.

[Former President tack50]

We had a Discord conversation on this? I cannot remember it.

Anyways this is modeled after some RL EU resolution, except given some actual teeth. Its objective is basically to standardize the models of charger for mobile phones and other similar small electronic devices.

To be fair given how most already use USB except for iPhones I suppose this may as well be the "Anti-Apple, Android 4 Life bill" Still, there are also other pieces of electronic equipment with non-interchangeable chargers for no good reason.

The specific are also left for the Atlasian government, which means Pericles or more likely Truman would be in charge of actually writing the implementation of this (so it will never happen); though I am fine with us doing the regulations instead.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

I oppose this bill. This isn't an area the government should get involved in. Also, no matter what this bill will stifle innovation due to preventing potential newly created technologies being implemented by a brand.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

We had a Discord conversation on this? I cannot remember it.

Anyways this is modeled after some RL EU resolution, except given some actual teeth. Its objective is basically to standardize the models of charger for mobile phones and other similar small electronic devices.

To be fair given how most already use USB except for iPhones I suppose this may as well be the "Anti-Apple, Android 4 Life bill" Still, there are also other pieces of electronic equipment with non-interchangeable chargers for no good reason.

The specific are also left for the Atlasian government, which means Pericles or more likely Truman would be in charge of actually writing the implementation of this (so it will never happen); though I am fine with us doing the regulations instead.

It came up in the context of right to repair conversations as I recall.

[YE]

This is toothless unless we regulate.

[Sestak]

[Former President tack50]

Lmao

Tbf I imagine a legal mandate would stop proliferation?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

USB was rather successful though in knocking off the numerous standards that preceded it: Parallel port, Serial Port, Media Port, OS/2 Mouse, OS/2 Keyboard, firewire and increasingly, auxiliary jack.

USB also has its own phone charger and it is rather likely that it would come to dominate on its own save for one small problem and that is of course Apple.

 

[Former President tack50]

USB was rather successful though in knocking off the numerous standards that preceded it: Parallel port, Serial Port, Media Port, OS/2 Mouse, OS/2 Keyboard, firewire and increasingly, auxiliary jack.

USB also has its own phone charger and it is rather likely that it would come to dominate on its own save for one small problem and that is of course Apple.

Yeah, for phones it is certainly worth noting that USB has essencially taken over except for Apple (which I guess in a way makes this the Anti-Apple Act like I said lol). I wonder how digital cameras and other small electronics are doing?

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

As has already been said, USB is pretty much the universal charger for Android phones. I am skeptical of mandating Apple to use the same charger since if it is really an issue, then people wouldn't be buying their overpriced phones in the first place.

[Former President tack50]

So I suppose we should table this then?

[YE]

Looking at this more seriously, we don’t need this. I like my Apple charger I got at the airport after I left my original one in Norman enough and it’s currently plugged into my phone while I type this up on my phone as a  matter of fact.

[Former President tack50]

Motion to table

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Motion to table

Seconded

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A vote is now open on the motion to table this legislation, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye

[YE]

Aye.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Former President tack50]

Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Aye

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Motion to Table

Aye (6): Jimmy, LT, NC Yankee, Scott, Tack and YE
Nay (0):
Abstain (0):

This bill has been tabled. Technically Scott was late (Tabling votes are 48 hours, not 72), but it won't affect the outcome either way.