Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) today applauded House passage of H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill that makes comprehensive improvements to the consumer product safety system. It is the first time in over 15 years that Congress has acted to modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“I’m grateful to see this legislation moving forward,” said Reichert, a cosponsor of the bill. “Especially during the holiday season, consumers are ever-aware of the dangers that certain products can pose, that they may not even know about. During the last week of November, the CPSC recalled more than 300,000 products, including holiday ornaments and infant pacifiers. Congress should be a partner in working to ensure the safety of consumer products. We are charged with maintaining and improving the safety of our constituents, and this bill takes a good step forward in doing just that.”

To enhance consumer protection, especially for children, this legislation:
• Bans lead beyond a minute amount in products intended for children under 12 years of age;
• Mandates pre-market testing by certified laboratories of children’s products for lead and other hazards;
• Requires manufacturers to place distinguishing marks on products and packaging to aid in recalls of children’s products;
• Creates a robust and extremely important new power for the CPSC to share information about dangerous products with the public immediately;
• Prohibits the sale and export of recalled products and improves public notice about recalls;
• Ensures that the CPSC effectively shares information with State public health agencies; and
• Requires the CPSC to develop a plan for assessing safety risks of imported products and the feasibility of mandating bonds.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.

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