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For Immediate Release
02/15/08
Contact: |
Rob Blumenthal w/Inouye 202-224-8374
Joe Brenckle - Republican Press Office 202-224-3991
Brian Eaton w/Stevens 202-224-0445
Jenilee Keefe w/Inouye 202-224-7824
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Pryor, Stevens, Inouye Reach Compromise on Bipartisan Children’s Safety Legislation
Bill Emphasizes Resources, Testing, Disclosure & Accountability |
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WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), Senate Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK), and Senate Commerce Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) today announced a bipartisan agreement to protect children and consumers from dangerous toys and products. Pryor and Stevens reached an agreement they believe will lead to swift, bipartisan passage of the bill within the next few weeks.
“I am pleased that Senator Pryor, Chairman Inouye and I have reached an agreement on a bipartisan bill to better protect American consumers,” said Vice Chairman Stevens. “This is especially important because of the recent concerns surrounding toy safety. This measure will do more to ensure that toys and other products sold in this country are safe so that our children and all Alaskans are protected. I will continue to work with Senator Pryor and Chairman Inouye to pass this important bipartisan legislation as soon as possible.”
“This legislation allows the CPSC to fight back against the tide of dangerous toys and products flooding our markets today,” Pryor said. “It infuses the agency with new resources, imposes testing requirements on children’s products, and arms the public with faster information when a potential problem emerges. Most of all, the safeguards in this bill should give parents piece of mind that they aren’t buying the next deathtrap disguised as a toy.”
“I want to especially thank Senator Stevens for his leadership and wisdom throughout this process. I also want to thank Senator Inouye for his support and guidance. This bipartisan agreement would have not happened without their vision and commitment to working together and setting an example for all of us to follow,” Pryor added.
“I would like to thank Senators Pryor and Stevens for their efforts to produce a bipartisan bill,” said Chairman Inouye. “It is my hope that we can move this legislation forward expeditiously.”
Pryor and Stevens said the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act will rebuild and reinvigorate the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC is the federal agency charged with overseeing the safety of approximately 15,000 consumer products, including toys. The legislation will empower the agency to better protect consumers and their families from unsafe products and meet the challenges of today’s economy. Key elements of the legislation emphasize resources, product testing, disclosure and accountability.
Highlights of the legislation would:
- Funding: Authorize funding levels for 7 years starting at $88.5 million in 2009 and increasing at a rate of 10 percent per year through 2015. For 2009 and 2010, an additional $40 million would be authorized to upgrade CPSC’s laboratories and $1 million would be authorized to research the safety of nanotechnology in products;
- Civil Fines: Increase the civil fine penalty cap up to $20 million from the current level of $1.8 million;
- Criminal Penalties: Increase criminal penalties to 5 years in jail for those who knowingly and willingly violate product safety laws;
- Testing: Require third party safety certification of children’s products. Upon CPSC approval, proprietary labs will be allowed to test products if they would provide equal or greater consumer protection than the manufacturer’s use of a third party lab. Makes mandatory current toy safety standards promulgated by ASTM International, an independent standard-setting organization, and requires that toys be certified to the standards;
- Labeling: Require manufacturers to label children’s products with tracking information useful to consumers and retailers in identifying recalled products;
- Lead: Ban lead in all children’s products;
- Quorum: Allow a 2-member quorum to conduct official business for 9 months. The CPSC currently is without a quorum and cannot conduct business that requires Commission action such as a mandatory recall. Restores the Commission to five members instead of three members to prevent future absences of quorum;
- Attorneys General: Allow state Attorneys General to obtain injunctive relief on behalf of its residents to enforce product safety laws;
- Whistleblower Protections: Provide whistleblower protections for employees of manufacturers, retailers, importers, and government employees to shed light on any problems along the supply chain;
- Recalled Products: Make it unlawful for retailers to sell a recalled product;
- Rulemaking Process: Streamline the product safety rulemaking process to be more timely by eliminating a mandatory “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” step; and
- Public Disclosure: Establish a database to include any reports of injuries, illness, death or risk related to consumer products submitted by consumers, local, State or national government agencies, child care providers, physicians, hospitals, coroners, first responders, and the media. Allows the CPSC to expedite the disclosure of industry provided information in the interest of public health and safety.
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Interstate Commerce Subcommittee to Examine GDP Calculation
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NIST, NSF, OSTP to Testify Before Commerce Committee
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FTC Commissioners to Testify Before Commerce Subcommittee
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DOT Secretary to Testify Before Commerce Committee
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...
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Commerce Committee to Review FY 2009 Budget Proposal to Support U.S. Basic Research
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Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal
Full Committee
Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Time: ...
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FY 2009 TSA Budget Hearing
Full Committee
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m.
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Merchant Marine Subcommittee to Examine Oil Spills Protection
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15th - |
current Press Release |
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Congress Passes “Kids and Cars” Safety Act
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Senate Commerce Committee Vice ...
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Nominations Hearing
Full Committee
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008
Time: 9:30 a.m.
...
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