CPSC Executive Director Moves Up to Chairman
Elliott F. Kaye has been sworn in as the tenth chairman in the history of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Elliot F. Kaye has been sworn in as the new chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the commission announced Aug. 1. Kaye had been the commission's executive director; President Obama nominated him March 31, 2014, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 28 to a term that expires in October 2020.
"I am deeply honored to have been selected by President Obama to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As a consumer, a policy maker, and especially as a father, I have a clear vision of the direction that CPSC needs to take, together with willing partners, to provide consumers with the protections they expect and deserve," he said.
Kaye identified three major areas of focus: "First, we will further harness the experience and expertise of CPSC staff and safety experts in the private sector to achieve more safety advancements for the American public. CPSC will attempt to work even more closely with industry and voluntary standards organizations to develop standards for products not covered by any standard and enhance standards that have not kept pace with advances in safety technology. Strong safety standards save lives, so I will direct agency staff to seek additional opportunities to work cooperatively with industry, consumer groups, and foreign regulators to create the strongest standards possible," he said.
Identifying the other two priorities, Kaye said he will continue to prioritize brain safety in youth sports during his tenure and is committed to strengthening CPSC's line of defense at U.S. ports to keep out dangerous imports. He also promised to expand CPSC's use of open data and social media.