Reform CPSIA HR4040

Reform CPSIA HR4040


1788 Signatures
Published by Dawn Michelle LaPolla on Jan 07, 2009


Category: Law Reform
Region: United States of America
Target: Reform of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act
Web site: http://www.reformcpsia.org/

Description/History:


The August 14, 2008 legislation included a new ban on lead in children's products (no more than 600 parts per million (ppm) by weight of any part of the product). According to the CPSIA, the new lead requirements take effect beginning February 10, 2009. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has determined that this new requirement will apply to goods in inventory, as well as goods made on or after that effective date. This ruling effectively makes this new lead requirement retroactive.



This means that product that produced several months ago, & which is safe & legally compliant today, will not be able to be sold on February 10. This seems unfair, as it means we are being held responsible for a standard that didn't even exist when those goods were made. Moreover, it will be extremely difficult - & in some cases impossible - to retroactively certify that individual goods already in the warehouses & on the store shelves meet the new lead standard. In short, the ruling puts at risk millions of dollars of inventory.



Based on 2002 U.S. Census data, which is the most current available for the apparel manufacturing industry, the Cut & Sew Apparel Manufacturing industry, which includes most categories of small manufacturers of infant’s & children’s apparel, is comprised of more than 40,000 companies. Of these, almost 28,000, or 68%, are sole proprietors contributing a total of $900 million to our nation’s economy. Thus, while our businesses are small, they comprise well more than the majority of the apparel manufacturing businesses currently operating in this country.



We urge the CPSC to issue guidance that makes clear that textiles & apparel are only subject to the lead & lead in paint requirements to the extent that a component presents a risk that it contains lead.



I respectfully request that the CPSC institute rulemaking to clearly define the scope and applicability of the new lead regulations and testing requirements for apparel and footwear products. I also urge that CPSC announce and implement an orderly enforcement schedule that focuses initial phases on education of these new requirements. Finally, I believe the decision by the CPSC to apply the lead ban retroactively needs to be reconsidered as soon as possible since the practical impact of this decision, in today's economic environment, will have an adverse effect at a time the government is spending billions to stimulate the economy.



Disclaimer: I am not the original author of this petition. This petition was authored by concerned men and woman whom this Act will dramatically affect. I am grateful to them for their contribution to this effort.


Petition:


Reformation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) HR4040



We, the undersigned, believe that HR4040 unfairly targets small businesses that manufacture or sell products for children by implementing regulations that require redundant testing. Such requirements are excessive and cost prohibitive, retroactively impacting billions of dollars of current inventory. The current Act has circumvented the public discourse necessary to truly ascertain the CPSIA’s impact on small business.



We request that Congress institute rulemaking to clearly define the scope and applicability of the new lead regulations and testing requirements for children’s products as well as require the CPSC to announce and implement an orderly enforcement schedule that focuses initial phases on education of these new requirements as well as identifying exemptions for products that are inherently lead free.



We believe the decision by the CPSC to apply the lead ban retroactively should be reconsidered since the practical impact of this decision will have an adverse effect on small businesses and the economy at a time when the government is spending billions to stimulate the economy. Therefore, we, the undersigned, hereby petition Congress to reform the Law, adhering to the Administrative Procedure Act & the Regulatory Flexibility Act as well as request the courts application thereof now and in the interim to make a moratorium on the present Act.


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The Reform CPSIA HR4040 petition to Reform of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was written by Dawn Michelle LaPolla and is hosted free of charge at GoPetition.

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