Aug. 6 – US: H.R. 4040: CPSC Reform Act Passes

The USA Today on the new act:

Congress has passed sweeping legislation to improve the safety of toys and other consumer products.

The bill — approved by the Senate Thursday night and the House of Representatives Tuesday — follows a rising tide of public concern over product safety, spurred by recalls of 45 million children’s toys and products last year and growing worry over chemicals in plastic. The measure, which passed with “veto-proof” majorities, now goes to President Bush, who has not threatened to reject it.

The bill virtually eliminates lead in children’s toys and bans six types of chemicals, called phthalates, that have hormone-like effects. Lead can cause both brain damage and behavioral problems in children. A number of animal studies and a few in humans have linked phthalates to early puberty in girls, genital defects and reduced testosterone production in boys and impaired sperm quality in men.

The bill requires that all toys be tested for dangerous chemicals before they’re sold — a big change over the current practice, in which untested toys are sold and recalled if necessary, says Rachel Weintraub of the Consumer Federation of America. Outside companies will perform the tests.

The law also boosts the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission from $80 million to $118 million in 2010 and $136 million five years later. The commission will be required to set up a website where consumers can both register complaints and read reports posted by others.

Click on the above link for more information. The act itself can be found here.