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Congress Passes Consumer Safety Bill, Bush Promises to Sign It

Bill provides for safer toys, more effective recalls, stronger enforcement

By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com

August 1, 2008

• California Warns Retailers On Lead • Mattel Settles Suits Over Dangerous Toys • Target To Pay $600,000 For Violating Lead Paint Ban • Tougher Safety Requirements For Children's Products Now In Effect • Toys 'R' Us Launches Unsafe Baby Products Awareness Program • New Safety Agency Chief Pledges Greater Openness • Obama Names New Consumer Product Safety Chair, Boosts Budget • Toymaker Fined $1.1 Million For Consumer Violations • Maryland Stores Stop Selling Toys With Lead Paint • Toymakers, Craftspeople Up In Arms Over New Safety Law • Thrift Stores Protest Ban on Lead Toys • Target Launches In-Store Recall System • Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Decorating • New Jersey Finds Recalled Toys in Four Stores • Mattel Agrees to Lower Lead Paint Levels in Toys • Consumers Cautioned About Dangerous Toys • Soon-To-Be-Banned Plastic Toys Flooding the Market • Safety Agency Warns of Safety Hazards in Cribs --- • More Consumer Safety News • Recall Notices

The most sweeping consumer safety legislation in more than 30 years passed Congress late Thursday and President Bush will sign it into law, his press secretary said. It's expected to make toys and common consumer products safer, make recalls more effective and give more authority to federal and state enforcement agencies.

The measure gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) far more funding, staff and authority than it has now, though critics noted that was no guarantee the commission would suddenly become more vigilant and aggressive.

The Senate approved the legislation 89-3 Thursday evening. The House approved it Wednesday by a vote of 424-1 and President Bush says he will sign it.

“I can announce to you today the President will sign that bill,” said Dana Perino, White House press secretary. “We are committed to ensuring that the products that come into America are safe for consumers and that the regulating agencies have what they need in order to do their job.

Six types of phthalates, chemicals linked to genital defects in males, have been banned from toys along with lead. Also, toys will be required to follow a complex list of rules intended to make them safer.

The bill boosts the beleaguered CPSC, which many blamed for failing consumers during 2007, a year that had a record number of recalls. The agency'ss funding will double by 2014 and state attorneys general will be empowered to enforce safety laws in their states.

The phthalate provision makes three phthalates permanently illegal and three others temporarily illegal until the CPSC can determine whether the chemicals are safe or dangerous. More details on the complex legislation can be found here.

Despite intense industry lobbying, almost every pro-consumer measure in the bill survived in the final version.

“This really is an example of the public interests prevailing over the special interests,” said Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety for the not-for-profit Consumer Federation of America.

Since Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) authored the bill more than a year ago, there were concerns that President Bush would veto any legislation that could prove to be costly for manufacturers. But the White House clarified its stance Thursday afternoon, saying Bush would sign it.

“We still have a few concerns, but not enough that would keep us from signing the bill,” Perino said. “So the President will sign that as soon as they can get it to us.”

The vote was the final action for Senators before they departed Washington, D.C. for the five-week August recess.

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