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For Immediate Release
02/15/08
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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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| 29th - |
Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for TSA Budget Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today that The Honorable Edmund “Kip” Hawley, Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, and Ms. Cathleen Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office, will testify before a full Committee hearing on the President...
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| 29th - |
CG Commandant among Witnesses for Oil Spills Protection Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today the witnesses for a Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee hearing on protecting our shores from oils spills. The witnesses are listed below.
The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate operation incidents associated with oil spills. The Subcommittee will examine non-tank vess...
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| 29th - |
Coast Guard Commandant, GAO to Testify at Coast Guard Budget Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee announced today that Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant for the U.S. Coast Guard and Mr. Stephen Caldwell, Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues at the Government Accountability Office will testify at the U.S. Coast Guard budget and oversight hearing.
The Committee will also examine programs in ...
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| 29th - |
Interstate Commerce Subcommittee to Examine GDP Calculation
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today that it will hold an Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee hearing on the calculation of the gross domestic product (GDP) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at 1:30 p.m.
At this hearing, Rethinking the Gross Domestic Product as a Measurement of National Strength, the subcommittee ...
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| 28th - |
NIST, NSF, OSTP to Testify Before Commerce Committee
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Science, Technology, and Innovation subcommittee announced the witnesses for its March 11, 2008 hearing on The FY 2009 Budget Proposal to Support U.S. Basic Research. The witnesses include: Dr. John H. Marburger, III, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP); Dr. Arden Bement, Jr., Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF); and Dr. James M...
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| 28th - |
Inouye: DOT Must Rehabilitate Infrastructure, Maintain Security
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement today at a hearing on the Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal.
“Transportation is an essential element of our nation’s prosperity. Our transportation infrastructure provides the means to efficiently mo...
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| 27th - |
FTC Commissioners to Testify Before Commerce Subcommittee
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will host an Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee hearing on the Federal Trade Commission Reauthorization. All five FTC Commissioners will testify.
The hearing will be an oversight hearing reviewing the performance of the Commission. The Committee will also receive testimony on pending FTC ...
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| 26th - |
DOT Secretary to Testify Before Commerce Committee
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today that The Honorable Mary E. Peters, Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) will testify at a February 28 hearing reviewing the DOT budget proposal. The Honorable Robert Sturgell, Acting Administration of the Federal Aviation Administration will accompany Secretary Peters.
...
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| 25th - |
Commerce Committee to Review FY 2009 Budget Proposal to Support U.S. Basic Research
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing titled The FY 2009 Budget Proposal to Support U.S. Basic Research.
At this hearing, the Committee will explore the importance of basic research to U.S. competitiveness. The hearing will examine research and development budgets at agencies i...
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| 21st - |
Commerce Committee to Examine DOT Budget Request
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today that it will review the President’s proposed Department of Transportation budget for the 2009 fiscal year at a hearing on February 28, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal
Full Committee
Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Time: ...
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| 20th - |
Commerce Committee to Host CG Budget and Oversight Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee announced today that it will review the President’s proposed U.S. Coast Guard budget for the 2009 fiscal year at a hearing on March 6, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
The Committee will also examine programs in the pending Coast Guard Reauthorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.
U.S. Coast Guard Budget and Ov...
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| 19th - |
Commerce Committee to Review TSA Budget Request
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces it will review the President’s proposed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) budget for the 2009 fiscal year at a hearing on March 4, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
FY 2009 TSA Budget Hearing
Full Committee
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Room 253, Russell Sena...
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| 19th - |
Merchant Marine Subcommittee to Examine Oil Spills Protection
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee hearing on protecting our shores from oils spills. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 2:30 p.m.
The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate operational incidents associated with oil spills. The Subcommittee will examine ...
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| 15th - |
current Press Release |
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| 14th - |
Congress Passes “Kids and Cars” Safety Act
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Congress today passed the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 1216). Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Vice Chairman of the Commerce Committee, is a cosponsor of the Senate companion legislation (S.694) which was introduced by Senators John Sununu (R-N.H.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). This measure will address child safety issue...
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| 12th - |
Inouye and Dingell Urge President to Establish Inter-Agency DTV Task Force
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) sent a joint letter today to the President, urging the establishment of an inter-agency task force to oversee the transition from analog to digital television (DTV).
The Chairmen called on the President to use the government’s...
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| 11th - |
FCC, NTIA among Witnesses to Testify at Commerce Committee DTV Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announced today the witnesses for a Full Committee hearing on U.S. readiness for the nationwide transition from analog television broadcasting to digital television (DTV) broadcasting. The witnesses are listed below.
With the transition date just a year away – set for February 17, 2009 – the hea...
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| 7th - |
Congress Passes Dorgan-Stevens Legislation to Extend Do-Not-Call List
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Congress last night approved legislation to extend and improve the Do-Not-Call registry. The House of Representatives passed the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007 (S.781) and the Senate passed the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 3541). Both bills were previously approved by the Senate and House.
Senate Commerce Committee Vice ...
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| 7th - |
Commerce Committee to Hear Testimony from DOC Deputy Secretary Nominee
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces a Full Committee Nominations Hearing for John J. Sullivan, nominated to be Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
Nominations Hearing
Full Committee
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008
Time: 9:30 a.m.
...
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| 5th - |
Aviation Subcommittee to Hold FAA Budget Hearing
- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security announced today that it will review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget proposal at a hearing on February 12, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
The Administration’s FY 2009 proposal would provide $14.6 billion for the FAA in FY 2009, a cut of $273 million from FY...
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