Direct Selling Day on Capitol Hill

The millions of Americans that become involved in direct selling are the public face of the retail channel. DSA and its member companies work with policymakers in the federal, state and local levels to establish an appreciation of their contributions and to ensure that direct sellers and their customers are protected from bad actors – pyramid schemes and companies that exaggerate income, lifestyle, and product claims.

DSA’s policy priorities seek to:

  • Preserve the legal and tax status of independent direct sellers so they can pursue meaningful, independent work.
  • Help stakeholders differentiate between legitimate direct selling companies and illegal pyramid schemes to protect consumers

In 2018, over 16 million people were involved in direct selling, accounting for over $35 billion in retail sales. DSA’s advocacy focuses on ensuring direct selling businesses can continue growing in the marketplace. To guide our efforts, DSA has developed policy papers clearly articulating the association’s positions and policy alternatives on the most important issues to direct selling. 

2020 Government Affairs Priorities

 Protect Independent Contractor Status of Direct Sellers

  • Continue support of H.R. 3522, the Preserving Direct Seller Independence Act, that would clearly define direct sellers as independent contractors to distinguish our businesses from those in the gig/sharing economy.
  • Support state legislation to update laws for direct sellers to be classified as independent contractors.
  • Ensure legislation does not unfairly tax or place burdensome requirements for the independent contractor salesforce.

Support Consumer Protection and Industry Self-Regulation

  • Work with regulators to ensure a clear and mutual understanding of legal compensation structures for multi-level marketing companies. 
  • Provide support for launching the DS-SRC and secure support for the program among the FTC, Members of Congress, state attorneys general and state legislators.
  • Seek introduction of legislation to distinguish direct selling companies from pyramid schemes.

Direct Selling Advocacy Center

  • Coordinate Women’s Entrepreneurship Roundtables with Members of Congress to educate them on the positive impact of direct selling for women.
  • Arrange bootcamps to provide resources for DSA members to get involved in association advocacy initiatives.
  • Promote the “Legislative Meetup” program that will prominently feature member companies that host policymakers at their offices in support of advocacy initiatives.

Increased Political Involvement

  • Obtain permission to solicit forms from all DSA member companies and request each company set a goal of contributing $2,500 to the Direct Selling Association Political Action Committee. This will increase DSA’s ability to educate and ultimately gain support from legislators on policy priorities.
 

Advocacy Resources