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The Consumer Product Safety Commission: The Powers of the Chairman

The Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for all of the executive and administrative functions of the Commission. In other words, the Chairman manages and oversees the hiring, supervision and work of the staff, and the expenditure of agency resources. All of the offices and directorates of the Commission report to the Chairman, either directly or through the office of the Executive Director.

The only staff members who report to the Commissioners are the three staff members in each of their personal offices. The Chairman carries out these functions subject to general Commission policies and to regulatory decisions, findings and determinations made by the Commission.1

The work of the Agency that falls under the direction of the Chairman includes:

• Hazard reduction, including product safety testy and developing mandatory and voluntary safety standards;
• Compliance and enforcement, including negotiating and implementing product recalls, and enforcement of the Commission’s statutes;
• Public Affairs, including media and public outreach of recall information, safety alerts and scientific and technical reports. The Chairman is the face of the agency; and
• Federal court litigation.

1 The Consumer Product Safety Act, section 4(f) (15 U.S.C. 2053(f)):

1. The Chairman of the Commission shall be the principal executive officer of the Commission and he shall exercise all of the executive and administrative functions of the Commission, including functions of the Commission with respect to (A) the appointment and supervision of personnel employed under the Commission (other than personnel employed regularly and full time in the immediate offices of the commissioners other than the Chairman), (B) the distribution of business among personnel appointed and supervised by the Chairman and among administrative units of the Commission, and (C) the use and expenditure of funds.
2. In carrying out any of his functions under the provisions of this subsection, the Chairman shall be governed by general policies of the Commission and by such regulatory decisions, findings, and determinations as the Commission may by law be authorized to make.
3. Requests or estimates for regular, supplemental, or deficiency appropriations on behalf of the Commission may not be submitted by the Chairman without the prior approval of the Commission

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