The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, signed into law on Aug. 14, is the largest overhaul in the history of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which was established in 1973. It will help make products around the country safer—far less likely to trigger the massive recalls we saw a year ago and, more importantly, far less likely to cause harm to children.

The concentrated, last-minute efforts of Illinois PIRG members, consumers and public interest and scientific groups helped push the measure over the top. In the days leading up to the final vote, more than 7,000 PIRG members sent letters, signed petitions or made phone calls in support.

Despite heavy resistance from powerful interests including ExxonMobil, the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Chemistry Council, we were able to secure this important victory.

Heading Off The Recalls
To address the slew of dangerous products that have recently slipped through the cracks, the comprehensive bill will ban lead and six kinds of phthalates (a class of toxic chemicals) in children’s products, and require third-party testing and certification for products going to children age 12 or under.

The bill will also provide muchneeded resources for the safety commission, allowing it to remove hazardous products more quickly, hand out fines and penalties to those violating product safety laws, and create a public database so that consumers and the media can learn about potentially hazardous products.

“Protecting our children from dangerous products is always a good idea, but now it’s the law,” said Consumer Program Director Ed Mierzwinski. “We look forward to working with a stronger CPSC with more tools at its disposal.”