Consumer Product Safety
In August 2008, an overwhelmingly bipartisan Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which was then signed into law by the president. The law represented a much-needed sea change for product safety. It requires that toys and infant products be tested before they are sold, bans the toxic substances lead and phthalates from children’s products, and creates a comprehensive publicly accessible consumer complaint database. The law also gives the oversight Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the resources it needs to protect the public and fix the broken product safety net.
Congress passed this landmark law because children had been hurt, become sick, or even died from unsafe products put in their hands. Many millions of products were recalled, shaking the confidence of parents in the safety of the toys and juvenile products currently on the market. The year 2007 was known as the year of the recall. Defective and dangerous products – from lead-painted toys to vacuum cleaners that catch fire – were allowed onto our store shelves and into our homes. The under-resourced CPSC had failed to do its job and protect American consumers. So we mobilized as a citizenry and scored big wins for consumer product safety, winning our biggest victory when the CPSIA was signed into law.
Since its passage, however, the CPSIA has been met with some resistance and criticism by industry representatives and lobbyists who are loathe to comply with the new requirements. We continue to fight for the safety of consumer products by closely monitoring Congress and the CPSC to ensure the full and complete implementation of the new law.
More Resources on Consumer Product Safety
- Consumer group comments on the Safety Standard Addressing Blade-Contact Injuries on Table Saws, July 26, 2017
- Consumer group comments on Inclined Infant Sleep Products, June 21, 2017
- Consumer Groups: Check SaferProducts.gov for Safer Holiday Shopping, November 29, 2016
- Letter: To Sen. Nelson on Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014, Oct. 9, 2014
- Letter: To Rep. Esty on Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014, Oct. 9, 2014
- Letter: Re: CPSC rulemaking on Mandatory Safety Standards for Window Coverings, Oct. 8, 2014
- Sunshine in Litigation Act Would Improve Public Access to Information About Dangerous Products, May 20, 2014
- Press Release: 5th Anniversary of Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act: Five Safety Breakthroughs in Five Years (PDF), August 5, 2013
- Consumer groups’ letter to CPSC regarding Bumbo Int. Baby Seats, February 7, 2012
- Comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission Regarding Review of Its Regulations, December 19, 2011
- Consumer Groups Oppose Anti-Product safety Provisions in the FY 2012 House Appropriations Bill, June 15, 2011
- Press Release: Consumer, Health, and Safety Groups Press Members to Put Kids First, May 25, 2011
- Groups’ Letter Opposing H.R. 1939, the Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act of 2011, May 25, 2011
- Letter to House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Regarding Hearing on Discussion Draft Amending the Consumer Product Safety Act, April 7, 2011
- Press Release: Groups Praise CPSC Vote for Consumer Product Safety Information Database, Nov. 30, 2010
- Comments to CPSC Regarding Agenda and Priorities for Fiscal Year 2012, Aug. 11, 2010
- Comments to CPSC Regarding Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database, July 23, 2010
- Letter to Secretary of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Regarding Public Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act Database, Jan. 29, 2010
- Statement of Public Citizen’s Consumer and Civil Justice Counsel Regarding the Establishment of a Public Consumer Product Safety Incident Database, Jan. 4, 2010
- Statement of Public Citizen’s Consumer and Civil Justice Counsel Regarding the Establishment of a Public Consumer Product Safety Incident Database, Nov. 10, 2009
- Coalition Statement in Support of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, April 1, 2009
- Fact Sheet About the Big Businesses Opposing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
- Fact Sheet: Industry Complaints Over Time – From Approval to Escalating Cries for Weaker Standards, March 2009
- Fact Sheet About the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, March 2009
- Comments to Government Regarding Civil Penalties in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, Oct. 1, 2009
- Report: Public Citizen Presses Consumer Product Safety Commission for Data Showing its Record on Notifying the Public About Dangerous Products, July 11, 2008
- Report: Held Back: Unfinished Consumer Product Safety Commission Rules, Class of 2007, March 3, 2008
- Report: U.S. Consumer Protection Officials Wait Months to Notify Public of Dangerous, Defective Products, Public Citizen Study Finds, January 31, 2008
- Fact Sheet: Safety Tips for Purchasing Toys and Other Products