Issue Position: SAFE Consumer Product Act

Issue Position

The Bush administration is asleep at the wheel while multinational corporations are putting profits before safety and products that harm kids are entering our country from China and other nations with poor safety records. As your Congressman, I will co-sponsor the Safety Assurance for Every (SAFE) Consumer Product Act, introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), and fight hard to protect consumers from dangerous products. We need to make sure that defects are identified and addressed before products reach the shelves and get in the hands of our children.

Families shouldn't need to worry about the safety of Curious George dolls, Thomas the Tank Engine, or any other children's toys sold in this country. But this year's alarming number of lead-tainted product recalls proves that our product safety system is broken and fails to protect consumers. Almost a third of all Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls in 30 years took place in 2007.

The SAFE Consumer Product Act would improve consumer product safety laws, strengthen the authority and staff of the CPSC and restore consumer confidence that the products they buy are safe for kids. Specifically, this comprehensive product safety legislation will:

* Ban lead in children's products, including products marketed or used by children under age 12;

* Require children's products to be certified safe by independent third-party testing;

* Eliminate the cap on civil penalties for violations and streamline the process for criminal penalties;

* Expand the authority of the CPSC to recall hazardous consumer products and to inspect retailers;

* Improve public disclosure of recalls from 30 to 10 days and require recall notices to be posted on manufacturer and retailer websites;

* Require warning labels for children's products advertised on the Internet; and,

* Provide additional resources to the CPSC.

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