DeLauro on the Issues | Legislation

Legislation Introduced by Congresswoman DeLauro

107th Congress | 106th Congress | Search for Legislation

106th Congress

Two people die each day as a result of residential furniture fires. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data report that, on average, 55 people die per month in fires where upholstered furniture is the first item ignited. Most of these fires are caused by cigarette ignitions; a significant portion are caused by open flames such as matches, lighters and candles.

The killer is upholstered furniture, which is one of the most flammable items in the American home. In just four minutes, a sofa fire can engulf an entire living room in flames, filling the home with thick, dark smoke and toxic gases. Temperatures can exceed 1,400° F in this short period of time, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The furniture in prisons is safer than the furniture in most homes. Upholstery in cars, airplanes, nursing homes, hospitals – and even prisons – is required to be fire resistant. But California is the only state with fire safety regulations for upholstered furniture in homes. After these standards were put into place in the 1970s, there was a 25% drop in deaths involving upholstered furniture beyond the national average (California Bureau of Home Furnishings) National safety standards for upholstered furniture will save lives. This furniture poses a risk in nearly every American home that can be eliminated. Simple and inexpensive changes in the manufacturing of upholstered furniture would drastically reduce the number and severity of fires in the home. The technology already exists to make upholstered furniture significantly less flammable at a cost of less than 5% of the furniture's value.

The Furniture Fire Safety Act would require flammability testing and labeling of upholstered furniture that is sold in interstate commerce. It would require a warning label on each article of upholstered furniture containing any quantity of polyurethane foam. The legislation would also require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a performance standard that is substantially equivalent to the most recent edition of the State of California Bureau of Home Furnishings Technical Bulletin, which sets out requirements and test procedures for testing the flame retardance of filling materials used in upholstered furniture.

Status of H.R. 4368

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