WASHINGTON, DC– Today, the United States Senate passed legislation making sweeping reforms to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), their policies and procedures. First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, lauded the Senate for the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act (S. 2663) and indicated that these reforms will have substantial benefits on children who are at risk for exposure to hazardous chemicals found in toys or other defective consumer products.
The senate passed the reform legislation by inserting it as a substitute amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 4040). The measure passed by a 79-13 margin. Senator Mark Pryor was the lead sponsor of the measure.
“For over a year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has operated at partial capacity, and its ineffectiveness has shown as time and again dangerous products have made their way into the hands of our nation’s children,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus. “Since this summer, twenty million imported toys have been recalled – some containing nearly 200 times the legal limit for lead. Today, the Senate joined the House in passing a Commission reform bill that brings us one step closer to enacting much needed reforms to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.”
Among other measures, the Act outlaws lead in all children’s products, while increasing penalties on companies for manufacturing faulty products from $1.25 million to $20 million. Moreover, toy manufacturers would be required to label children’s products with tracking information that could help in the event of a recall.
In addition, funding for the CPSC would see substantial increases over the next seven years, from its current fiscal 2008 level of $80 million to $156 million by fiscal 2015. Moreover, the agency is be required to increase its staff to 500 employees by the end of September, 2013.
Finally, a two-member CPSC quorum would be allowed to conduct official business for nine months. The commission currently lacks a required three-member quorum, so it cannot act on mandatory recalls.
The house version, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 4040), passed the House of Representatives on December 19.
Lesley added, “The efforts of the House and the Senate leaders to correct the problems facing the Consumer Product Safety Commission will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the Commission’s effectiveness. Now, it is our hope that House and Senate leaders can work quickly and effectively to compromise on legislation that will pass the Congress, signed by President Bush, and enacted into law.”