Consumer groups urge Congress to reject bill that weakens product safety laws
May 11, 2011
By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
A coalition of consumer, health, and safety groups today called on Congress to reject a bill that would diminish the effectiveness of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a law that keeps unsafe toys and products off the shelves.
Passed in 2008, the act was approved in response to the recall of millions of toys and children’s products for excessive lead, ingestion hazards, and other serious health risks. It raises standards and improves safeguards against unsafe toys and products and provides for a database for consumers to report and read complaints about hazardous products filed with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The House Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee is planning to meet Thursday to mark up a bill that would undo key components of the act.
Consumer and safety groups say the bill would lower standards and roll back safeguards for children and infants.
Consumers Union
“The stakes are too high to rush these sweeping changes,” Ami Gadhia, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said in a statement. “A toy box shouldn’t be a game of roulette. You ought to be able to buy toys for your children and know that they’ve been properly tested for safety. This draft bill sets up impossible hurdles that would likely mean toys and other children’s products wouldn’t be adequately tested for safety.”
American Academy of Pediatrics
O. Marion Burton, M.D., president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, agrees.
"For nearly 40 years, our nation has been striving to remove lead from children's environments because we recognize its devastating impact on child health,” Burton said. “Congress should not allow more lead in toys and other products specifically designed for children."
Public Citizen
Christine Hines, consumer and civil justice counsel at Public Citizen's Congress Watch, said the bill seeks to impose severe restrictions on the successful incident reporting database, such as limiting individuals who can report to the database and adding onerous burdens to the reporting process.
“Evidently, supporters of this bill would prefer that consumers remain in the dark and unaware of dangerous products,” said Hines. “Considering the time and resources used in building the database, this proposal would turn a vigorous consumer tool into a dramatic waste of government resources.”
Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., president of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund, said the bill is bad news for children. “It would weaken current law, which prevents our children from being exposed to hormones in plastic toys and children’s products. The petroleum-based hormones in phthalates have been linked to testicular cancer and other dangerous diseases.”
Kids In Danger
Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, is concerned about crib safety.
“While we appreciate that the draft amendment will still require third party testing of cribs and other durable infant and toddler products, we are disheartened that children in child care centers will not be afforded the same protections,” said Cowles. “By allowing existing cribs, no matter what safety standards they meet, to remain in child care facilities, the drafters of this amendment do a disservice to the millions of American families who rely on safe child care."
The Consumer Federation of America and U.S. Public Interest Research Group also oppose the bill.
Let your member of the House of Representatives know that you don’t support the weakening of consumer product safety laws, especially those that protect children.
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