McNerney Pushes for Tougher Toy Safety Standards, Quicker Dissemination of Recall Information

Press Release

MCNERNEY PUSHES FOR TOUGHER TOY SAFETY STANDARDS, QUICKER DISSEMINATION OF RECALL INFORMATION

With Christmas less than a week away and with an eye to this year's continually expanding list of recalled toys and products containing dangerous materials, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) today cast a vote for the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act.

"This year, millions of toys and other children's products have been recalled due to unsafe levels of toxic chemicals and other hazards. Some of those toys contained nearly 200 times the legal amount of lead," said Rep. McNerney.

"Unfortunately, under the Bush Administration, the staff at the Consumer Product Safety Commission has shrunk. An understaffed and under-funded CPSC does not have the resources to fulfill its oversight responsibility to protect the American public," Rep. McNerney said.

H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act passed the House this afternoon.

This legislation accomplishes a number of critically important objectives, including toughening safety standards, requiring more product testing, strengthening penalties for offenders, and improving public notice of recalled products.

The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act creates the toughest lead standard in the world for children's products by banning lead beyond a minute amount in products intended for children under 12. It also mandates that the Consumer Product Safety Commission periodically review and revise the new standard based on currently available technology.

The bill requires mandatory safety standards for nursery products like cribs and high chairs and also requires the CPSC to examine the current voluntary safety standards for toys, to determine whether mandatory standards should be adopted.

Importantly, this legislation also improves the CPSC's ability to communicate information about product recalls that are issued for health and safety reasons. Currently there are several bureaucratic impediments that prohibit the CPSC from making immediate announcements about health and safety-related product recalls and getting that information to consumers.

H.R. 4040 also:

* Requires mandatory third-party testing children's products by certified laboratories.
* Increases the cap on civil penalties to $10 million and authorizes State attorneys general to sue to enjoin violations of the law.
* Increases CPSC resources to hire additional staff and for laboratory renovations, including $20 million to modernize the testing lab.
* Bans travel by CPSC Commissioners and staff that is paid for by an organization regulated by the CPSC.

Source