WASHINGTON D.C. –The Senate today passed the Conference Report for H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The final vote was 89 to 3. The legislation reauthorizes the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the first time in 18 years. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) gave the following statement in support of the Conference Report.

“Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Conference Report for H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Today is a great day for American families.  H.R. 4040 is the first step toward revitalizing an important safety agency and restoring confidence in the safety of consumer products for years to come. 

“Media reports and consumer advocates have called this bill the most important piece of consumer product safety legislation in a generation.  I call it legislation that is long overdue.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) is a small agency with an exceptionally broad and important charge, as the name suggests, the protection of consumers,particularly children from dangerous products.   

“The Commission is responsible for ensuring that the more than 15,000 products – everything from infant cribs to all-terrain-vehicles – are safe to use.  Every year, more than 28,000 Americans die and an additional 33 million are injured by consumer products.  These numbers are too high, and an effective CPSC with increased funding, staff, and authority is essential to reducing these losses. 

“I am very pleased that many of the key provisions which originated in the Senate, such as the searchable database, whistleblower protection, phthalates restrictions, mandatory toy safety standards and all-terrain vehicle safety standards, were included in the final bill. 

“Several of these initiatives faced significant initial opposition from the Administration, industry, and indeed, from the Chair of the Commission itself, and I am pleased that we have come together in the House and the Senate to overcome these challenges.

“Reconciling the differences between the House and the Senate was no easy task, but I had no doubts that the work of the Committee would come to a timely and successful conclusion.  The Senate conferees worked countless hours since the passage of the Senate amendment last March.  Senator Pryor authored the original Senate bill reported by the Commerce Committee, which became the backbone of the Senate amendment to H.R. 4040. 

“His stewardship and attention to the details of this bill were essential to negotiating the conference report with the House.  I also commend my good friend Senator Ted Stevens.  Without his guidance and support, the Senate amendment would not have passed, and we would not have this groundbreaking legislation before us today. 

“I would also like to recognize several Senators who were not conferees for their contributions to the original Senate amendment and for working with the conference committee on the provisions they championed in the Senate.  Senator Nelson was the leader in crafting mandatory toy standards and the independent third party testing mandate in the Senate bill. 

“Senator McCaskill’s work on the whistleblower and the inspector general provisions helped convince the conferees to provide whistleblower protections to millions of workers in the consumer products sector.  Finally, Senator Feinstein’s amendment to ban certain phthalates from children’s products was the foundation of the compromise provision that was ultimately accepted by the conference. 

“My friend, Congressman John Dingell, the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has shown his legislative skill and care for the American people for more than fifty years.  His partnership with me this Congress has led to the passage of two monumental bills.  We worked together to increase fuel economy standards last December, and reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission today. 

“The conference committee staff have labored on a nonstop basis since May.  I want to thank David Strickland, Alex Hoehn-Saric, Jana Fong-Swamidoss, Mia Petrini, and Jared Bomberg of my Commerce Committee staff for a job well done.  I would also like to thank Paul Nagle, Rebecca Hooks, and Megan Beechener of the Republican Commerce Committee staff, and Lloyd Ator and Christopher Knox of the Commerce Committee’s office of legislative counsel.

“Mr. President, I urge the adoption of this Conference Report, and I look forward to the President signing this landmark measure into law.  I further request that my full statement be printed in the Congressional Record.”