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Posted in Products Liability Blog

Product Safety Overhaul Approved by House

July 31st, 2008 by John Simon

The most sweeping federal product safety legislation since the Consumer Product Safety Commission was created in the late 1970s is one step closer to becoming law.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives ratified The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. A few days earlier, House and Senate conferees reached a compromise agreement involving the bill’s provisions. The legislation was introduced last November after a series of recalls were announced involving toys containing hazardous levels of lead.

If ratified by the Senate and signed into law by the president, several new consumer safety provisions would go into effect, Consumer Reports.org notes. The new measures include:

• Essentially eliminating lead from toys and all other products for children.
• The toy safety standard will become mandatory and all toys must be tested by an independent laboratory.
• Products for children such as cribs will be subjected to tougher safety standards.
• The CPSC will receive increased funding.
• The amount the CPSC may impose as civil penalties has been significantly increased.
• State Attorney Generals are authorized to enforce product safety laws.
• All-terrain vehicle safety standards will now become mandatory.
• A partial ban on plastic-softening chemicals known as phthalates.
• The new law will also offer greater protections to whistle-blowers

If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed by a dangerous product, contact John G. Simon toll free at 1-877-767-3108.

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