Cárdenas, Klobuchar, Davis Introduce COVID-19 Home Safety Act of 2021

Press Release

Last week, Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) introduced the COVID-19 Home Safety Act. Recent reports indicate that pediatricians and emergency room doctors have seen an increase in patients seeking treatment for home injuries. This bill would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.

"The pandemic has changed the way we interact with the world around us," said Congressman Cárdenas. "While we work to address the challenges that come with these changes, we must also address the very real problems of consumer safety and home injuries brought on by stay-at-home orders. Whether the increase in injury risks are caused by an increase in online product purchases or simply because families and children are spending more time at home, we must ensure that these products are safe for the American consumer. My bipartisan bill will require this issue to be studied so that lawmakers can take appropriate measures to protect consumers and American children."

"As we continue to confront this pandemic, Americans should not have to worry about the safety of products in their own homes," Klobuchar said. "This legislation will help protect our children and seniors from injuries and deaths caused by consumer products during and after the pandemic."

"The COVID-19 pandemic has truly changed the world as we know it, and that includes our daily routines," said Rep. Davis. "Stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts mean families and individuals are spending more time at home, which may translate into an increase in certain types of injuries caused by consumer products. Some news reports say that families are putting off hospital and ER visits due to health concerns caused by the pandemic, and that may translate into other negative health consequences as well. That's why Rep. Cardenas and I are re-introducing legislation to study this issue -- so we get a full understanding of how the pandemic is affecting consumer safety and families across our country."

According to recent reports, pediatricians and ER doctors have seen an increase in patients seeking treatment for home injuries following the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 Home Safety Act specifically requires that the CPSC submit to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and make publicly available, a report on the effect of the COVID-19 public health emergency on injuries and deaths from consumer products. The bill requires that the CPSC report include:

Relevant data and statistics from the Commission and relevant agencies media reports, and any other relevant data sources.
An identification of trends in injuries and deaths from consumer products, comparing data from representative time periods before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
An identification of subpopulations that have experienced elevated risk of injury or death from consumer products during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

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