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Advocacy > Federal
Children’s product safety is a national, even an international concern. The most
effective changes in safety must come in the national arena. A strong
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), with the power and funding to oversee product safety, is
critical.
KID encourages policy makers to consider ways to improve recall effectiveness. However,
the root of the problem is inadequately tested products that reach the
market before their safety is assured. Until pre-market safety testing is mandated,
our children will continue to serve as guinea pigs.
Kids In Danger commends Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Representative Bobby Rush (IL-1) and US Senator
Dick Durbin (IL) along with other congressional leaders and consumer groups who worked to pass the Consumer Product
Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to improve children's product safety.
A portion of the bill, named in Danny Keysar's honor, requires mandatory standards and testing for
durable infant and toddler products, product registration cards and a ban on the sale or lease of unsafe cribs.
Here are some other examples of how the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 changes
and improves the safety of products sold in the United States:
- Lead will be essentially eliminated from toys and children's products.
- Consumers will have access to a publicly-accessible database to report and learn about
hazards posed by unsafe products.
- Toys and other children's products will be required to be tested for safety before they
are sold.
- State Attorneys General will have the necessary authority to enforce product safety
laws.
- CPSC has the authority to levy more significant civil penalties against violators of its
safety regulations, which will help deter wrongdoing.
- Toxic phthalates will be been banned from children's products.
- Whistleblowers will be granted important protections.
- CPSC will receive substantial increases in its resources including its staffing levels, its
laboratory and computer resources and its various authorities to conduct recalls and take
other actions - going forward.
Take a minute to thank your Congressional representatives and senators for supporting the legislation.
Now, KID will work with other consumer advocates to monitor the implementation of this landmark legislation and look for emerging hazards
or other product safety issues that are not addressed.
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| Senate and House Pass Sweeping CPSC Reform |
| In July 2008, the US Senate and House passed sweeping CPSC reforms.
President Bush signed the bill on August 14, 2008.
To learn more about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act visit CPSC's special web
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