As Product Recalls Mount, Rep. Baca Backs Effort to Protect Children and Consumers

Press Release

AS PRODUCT RECALLS MOUNT, REP. BACA BACKS EFFORT TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND CONSUMERS

House Passes Critical Child Safety Legislation

Washington, DC - As recalls of toys and consumer products mount, Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) this week backed a package of legislation to help ensure the products that our children use are completely safe and reliable. The Congressman also pledged to support additional efforts to ban lead from toys and other children's products, protect consumers and strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"Raising a family is hard work and parents shouldn't have to worry about purchasing dangerous products at the supermarket or the mall," said Rep. Baca. "I was proud to back a series of bills that will help keep our children safe. We must continue to work to get lead and other hazardous materials out of the toys our children play with every day."

On Tuesday, the House unanimously approved four bills to protect children. The bills include:

• The Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which improve the safety of gasoline containers to protect children from death or serious injury.

• The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, which requires consumers to be notified directly when unsafe cribs, high chairs and other durable infant and toddler products are recalled.

• The Product Safety Civil Penalties Improvement Act, which encourages companies to report safety problems with their products.

• The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which protects children from drowning by requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers in pools and spas. The bill also creates a swimming pool safety grant program to encourage states to adopt comprehensive safety laws.

"A clear correlation exists between the increased loss of American jobs to outsourcing, and the major recalls we have seen on everything from toys to pet food," added Rep. Baca. "Our elected officials must fight to prevent further outsourcing not only to protect American jobs, but also to ensure the safety of the American consumer."

This fall, the House of Representatives will consider a comprehensive bill to provide greater resources for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, ban lead in children's jewelry and products, and make third-party testing of toys and children's products for compliance with safety standards mandatory. Currently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is severely understaffed - having lost 15 percent of its workforce since 2004 and employing only one full-time toy tester.

"It seems like every day a new toy, lunchbox, or other consumer product is recalled," added Rep. Baca. "We must redouble our efforts to ensure products on the market are safe for children and families."

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