CPSC Wants More Flexibility to Exempt Products, Extend Compliance Under Product Safety Law

(World Trade Interactive)

The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission told Congress last week that the CPSC needs more flexibility in its ability to implement the numerous requirements under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

In a letter to Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., Acting CPSC Chair Nancy Nord said the agency has been confronted with three major issues in implementing the CPSIA:

(1) the retroactive application of requirements to inventory;

(2) the broad coverage of the law, which applies to all products for children 12 years or age or younger; and

(3) the impact of new testing and certification requirements for all consumer products and the third-party testing requirements for children’s products.

Nord said that while more funding and staffing would help, granting the CPSC more autonomy to implement the CPSIA would be the best way to ease the burdens on both government and industry while ensuring compliance with the law. Read more here.