CPSC will be strengthened; Consumers will be better
protected from Unsafe Products, Holes In Product Safety Net Fixed
Today, Maryland PIRG commended the Senate Commerce Committee
for its voice-vote passage of the CPSC Reform Act of 2007, S. 2045 (Pryor-AR).
The bill is based on Maryland PIRG’s 3-part platform to protect the public: it
strengthens bans on lead in children’s products, adds money and resources to
the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and improves surveillance of
imports.
“This bill fixes the holes in the product safety net and
would make the CPSC the bigger agency that could, instead of the little agency
that couldn’t,” said Johanna Neumann of Maryland PIRG. “With 25 million unsafe
toys found in 2007 alone, we clearly need to hold toy manufacturers accountable
for making their products safe by beefing up the enforcement authority of the
Consumer Product Safety Commission,”
The CPSC Reform Act of 2007, S. 2045 was introduced by
Sen. Mark Pryor (AR), and co-sponsored by Sens. Inouye (HI) Brown (OH),
Durbin (IL), Klobuchar (MN) and Nelson (FL). This bill increases the
CPSC’s annual budget from $62.7 million to $141.7 million by 2015, and
significantly increases the agency’s authority to get unsafe toys off of store
shelves quickly. The bill increases civil monetary penalties from $1.8 million
to $100 million per violation, requires independent third-party testing of
products, improves CPSC’s ability to disclose safety information to the public,
and contains a bright line ban on lead paint in children’s toys. The bill also
allows state attorneys general to help enforce the law.
“We’re incredulous that the Acting Chair of the CPSC, Nancy
Nord, has opposed key parts of this legislation that would give her little agency
that couldn’t the tools it needs,” added Neumann. “The CPSC has gotten too cozy
with toy manufacturers, and now those companies are more afraid of Wal-Mart’s
demands for low prices than the CPSC’s threats of fines for breaking the law.”
Maryland PIRG and other consumer groups have been working to
ensure that the bill would be as protective of consumers as possible. The bill
passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee today with many strengthening
amendments supported by the groups including: internet and catalogue warning
labels; product registration cards to improve how consumers find out about
recalls, mandatory toy safety standards, and improved whistleblower
protections. Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working on,
but have yet to introduce, similar legislation.
"Today, the
Senate Commerce Committee gave the agency some of the tools it
needs to protect all Americans, especially children, from dangerous
imports and other hazards,” concluded Neumann.
