Rep. Schakowsky Statement on House Passage of Changes to Consumer Product Safety Bill

Washington, DC — Rep. Schakowsky released the following statement in response to this week's action in the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 2715, a bill making changes to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA):

Rep. Schakowsky was one of the key authors of the CPSIA, landmark legislation that represented the most significant reform of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and its responsibilities in decades. Prior to passage, millions of children's toys and products were being recalled for safety concerns, including lead paint in toys from China and cribs lacking hardware and designs sturdy enough to protect the children sleeping in them. The CPSIA implemented standards that would keep toxins like lead and phthalates out of children's products.

In addition, Rep. Schakowsky was successful in adding to the CPSIA a provision that she had introduced as stand-alone legislation that created strong mandatory safety standards for all major juvenile products, including cribs. Her work was inspired in part by Danny Keysar, a 16-month-old Chicago boy who was strangled when his playpen collapsed at his daycare in 1998. Together with Danny's mother Linda Ginzel, other parents, and child product safety advocates like Kids in Danger, the Consumer Federation of America, and Consumers Union, the child product safety provision was incorporated into the larger Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. In June, 2011, the new crib standards authorized under this provision — the strongest in the world — went into effect.

"Nearly three years ago, on August 14, 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was signed into law. The law was the product of a drafting, negotiation, and conference process that was a true bipartisan achievement. The result, which passed nearly unanimously here in the House, was a landmark law that has already improved the safety of products on the shelves, particularly those made for children.

"Unfortunately, implementation was not without a few bumps in the road, and I agree with many others that there are some small fixes that would allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to implement the law better. However, I was concerned about attempts by some of my colleagues on the other side who sought to substantially weaken the underlying law instead of working in a bipartisan manner to address the issues at hand.

"That is why I am glad that this week the House considered and passed a truly bipartisan bill. I believe that H.R. 2715 addresses some needed changes while protecting the important public health protections of the underlying law.

"I am very pleased that this legislation protects the safety standards for durable infant and toddler products that I worked to include in the original law. Durable infant goods are the items that get used over a period of years, often for multiple children, and may get passed around among family, friends, and neighbors. Ensuring that such products are safe is absolutely critical. Parents should feel confident that the cribs, bassinets, and playpens they use — where young children sleep and are left alone for significant periods of time — are safe.

"We should all remember why we passed CPSIA in the first place — to prevent injuries and literally save lives. I commend my colleagues for their work in reaching an agreement that does not roll back the historic progress we have made....

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Contact: Adjoa Adofo, (202) 225-2111
adjoa.adofo@mail.house.gov