Manufacturers Back Bill to Increase CPSC Funding, Staff
The National Association of Manufacturers strongly supports H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, which was passed 51-0 by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce and then passed by the House this week. NAM's America's Business radio program will air an interview about the bill with the committee's chairman, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., in 24 states this weekend (a list of the states and air times is available at www.nam.org/s_nam/doc1.asp?CID=202321&DID=237382). Dingell this week said H.R. 4040 contains the first substantial reauthorization of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 15 years.
"Passage of this legislation is certainly timely given the holiday gift-giving season, but manufacturers are dedicated to safety and reliability of their products year round," NAM President John Engler said in a news release. "Congress clearly shares that commitment with passage of this strong, bipartisan legislation to give the CPSC resources it needs to carry out its duties." NAM formed the CPSC Coalition, which represents manufacturers, distributors, importers, and retailers of consumer products, to emphasize their commitment to produce and sell safe consumer products. "The coalition stands behind the CPSC and has long advocated for increasing its budget and resources," Engler said. "Stores need to be free of unsafe products that risk injuring our most vulnerable consumers, our children."
The bill would establish the toughest lead standard in the world, a graduated reduction to 100 ppm; require manufacturers to include tracking labels on all toys intended for children 12 and younger to aid in possible recalls; require third-party testing of toys with lead by CPSC-accredited labs; and raise the agency's budget to $100 million by FY2011. It also would give CPSC $20 million to modernize its testing lab.