CPSC Responds to Questions Regarding the CPSIA

Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Nancy Nord posted a letter on the CPSC Web site last week in response to questions posed by Rep. John Dingell, (D) Mich., regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Ultimately, the detailed response, which you can read here, outlined the major issues the CPSC faces in implementing the law and Nord’s proposed changes, which include:

• Getting rid of the retroactive aspect of the law, except in cases where the CPSC finds a health and safety risk to children.

• Passing a lower age limit defining children’s products, giving the CPSC the power to set higher or lower limits depending need for each product classification

• Allowing the CPSC to assess need, priorities and phase-in schedule for issues like certification and tracking labels for each product classification

In conclusion, Nord wrote: “Regardless of the path chosen, some legislative changes would be helpful to allow the agency to set risk-based priorities given the finite resources available to the commission.”

In a separate letter, Commissioner Thomas Moore emphasized the need for an additional commissioner for the CPSC. Currently it has two. “The single most important step that needs to be taken in furtherance of the implementation of the CPSIA at the agency is to have the third Commissioner, who would also be the Chairman, appointed to lead the agency,” he stated. “Then the Commission would be able to give the staff direction and attend to various concems that have gone unaddressed.”

In This Issue: Global influences drive European fashion for fall Manufacturers build in special features to boost sell through Russian themes color specialty fashion this season Plus: Little Steps Fall ’09—fall shoe trends, emerging categories and a Q&A with BBC’s Bob Campbell Coming Next Month: Eco battles the economy—which categories will fare best Earnshaw’s investigates the T-shirt market Lifestyle brands rule the fashion pages Plus: The best new baby shower gifts under $50