Consumer Product Safety Reform Act Signed into Law
August 25, 2008 -- President Bush has signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, H.R. 4040, which calls for the establishment of consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products as well as the reauthorization and modernization of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). His signature supports the decision by the U.S. Senate, which had previously passed the bill on July 31, 2008, by a vote of 89-3, just one day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 424-1.
CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord made the following statement: "The new product safety legislation signed into law today is a victory for parents and consumers. New regulatory authorities and enforcement tools, many of which I asked of Congress last year, will make it easier for CPSC to find and recall unsafe products made around the world. CPSC is ready to implement the law fully, fairly and in a way that bolsters the safety of children's products and increases consumer confidence."
CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord made the following statement: "The new product safety legislation signed into law today is a victory for parents and consumers. New regulatory authorities and enforcement tools, many of which I asked of Congress last year, will make it easier for CPSC to find and recall unsafe products made around the world. CPSC is ready to implement the law fully, fairly and in a way that bolsters the safety of children's products and increases consumer confidence."
In short, the law bans harmful lead and phthalates in toys and requires that toys and infant products be tested by a third party laboratory to ensure they meet safety standards before they are sold. The law also calls on the CPSC to establish a searchable database featuring reports of safety hazards presented by consumer products; nearly doubles the CPSC's budget to $156 million by 2015; increases the number of full-time personnel employed at the CPSC to at least 500 by 2013; and increases penalties for violating product safety laws; among other revisions.
"Public awareness is at an all-time high," says Janet Nudelman, director of program and policy for the Breast Cancer Fund, which led a national coalition of parents, health care professionals and environmental health advocates to convince Congress to pass the phthalate ban. "Consumers are saying that the products we buy must be safe, period. The phthalate ban is a great start, and an indication that Congress is ready to consider the kind of sweeping chemical policy reform that is needed."
Click here for information on how retailers and manufacturers, like Toys"R"Us Inc., Gerber and Wal-Mart, have made improvements to enhance internal quality assurance and safety of children's products and toys.