NSSEA Opposes CPSC Reform Act Being Considered by Congress
In light of the flurry of recalls of toys from China, both the Senate and House of Representatives are scheduled to vote on sweeping changes to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide greater protection for children's products, improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, and improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs.
While NSSEA supports the important mission of the CPSC in ensuring that the marketplace is free of unsafe consumer products that could pose a risk of injury to children, it appears that under the guise of taking quick action to protect children from unsafe products, the act significantly expands the CPSC resources, mandate, and enforcement authority by:
increasing product registration/recall notice procedures for 12 "durable nursery products,"
expanding product advertising (including catalog, and internet) warning notices,
banning lead in children's (under 12yrs) products, and lowering paint standards, and
requiring tracking labels of all channel members (i.e., manufacturer, importer, retailer, and distributor).
Therefore, NSSEA is joining the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Retail Federation, and a number of other national association representing children's products in opposing H.R. 4040 (Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act) and S. 2045 (CPSC Reform Act of 2007).
In the current proposal, states would be permitted to sue companies on behalf of their citizens, which could result in uneven enforcement and generate unnecessary legal costs. In addition, it is believed that the penalties in the bill will undermine the CPSC's efforts to achieve timely, effective corrective action. Costly litigation will replace cooperation, delaying the agency's ability to achieve desired results.
If you have concerns about the specific impact to your company as a result of this legislation, please contact Jim Anderson at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors.
Your help is needed to prevent a bad piece of consumer product safety legislation from passing in the U.S. Senate before this year -- perhaps this month -- is out.
S. 2045, the "CPSC Reform Act of 2007" is on a fast track. Less than two months after its introduction, S. 2045 was voted out of the Senate Commerce Committee and is now ready for action in the full Senate. Unfortunately, what the Commerce Committee approved in its rush to move this legislation is a mine field with significant cost and liability ramifications for every company in the chain of distribution on a consumer product, wholesaler-distributors included.
Members of the Senate need to hear from folks in their states IMMEDIATELY in opposition to this legislation.
IMPORTANT: It is best to email or FAX your messages. You can do this easily by using our "E-ALERT" on-line program co-sponsored by your line-of-trade association:
Go to: NAW.org and Click the "TELL CONGRESS" button in the top right corner of your screen.
You will be linked to NAW's "Take Action" E-Alert Program.
Click on "Oppose CPSC Reform Act of 2007"
Easy to follow instructions, including talking points, will take you through the rest of the very quick process.
Many thanks.
Go to NAW.org and click "TELL CONGRESS" now.
