Reese's Law
Floor Speech
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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the cosponsors of the legislation. Particularly, I want to mention Robin Kelly, who is not able to be here today. I know she wanted to be able to speak to this legislation.
But it was brought to our Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee by a really brave mom, and that is Trista Hamsmith, a woman who lost her 18-month-old daughter, Reese, tragically after she ingested a tiny button cell battery.
And I am just so proud of not only the subcommittee, but the full committee that unanimously has passed this and brought it now to the floor.
But we give a special thanks to Trista Hamsmith, mom of Reese.
So, as the chairman mentioned, these batteries are found in many household devices and even toys that are used by children. And it is estimated that once every 3 minutes, a child is treated in an emergency room having swallowed one of these small batteries.
These deaths and injuries that continue are absolutely not necessary because voluntary standards for their packaging and to protect children are just not present.
And so, Reese's Law would require that the Consumer Product Safety Commission draft mandatory standards for these button cell or coin batteries. And these standards will ensure that the batteries' packaging would have information about what is dangerous; and that they would be child-resistant and would have warning labels on the packages and instructions for parents to protect their children.
More times than not, I want to just say that in our subcommittee we learn from parents about the hazards that their children face. And I am just so proud that, with the help of Gus Bilirakis, the ranking member of the subcommittee, the help of both the chairman and the ranking member of the full committee, and our full committee, we are able to address these hazards.
And the fact that Trista was able to bring Reese's story to us and tell it--you know, sometimes I think that our subcommittee is--you know, we have to pass out tissues because of the stories that we hear from these parents--and turn their tragedy into power and are able to make the difference.
So I just want to thank my friends and colleagues, and I look forward to passing this legislation.
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