Toy Safety Standards and New Legislation
Health writer, KATE BARRETT, wrote a great article for ABCNews.com, entitled: "New Toy Safety Standards Become Law". The article discussed in detail, the new legislation on Consumer Product Safety and how it impacts children's toys. The article highlighted the addition of tough new standards that address lead levels and chemicals in products for children under 12 years old. According to the new Bill, safety tests will be required with the efforts of keeping kids safe and preventing recalls.
This Bill was a Bi-partisan effort on behalf of our legislators in the House and the Senate. According to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee chairman Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, "The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been a neglected agency for too many years, but this legislation puts an end to that neglect. Texas Republican, Joe Barton, ranking member on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce panel, stated "One of the roles of government is to get between kids and the sorts of hazards that are well beyond parents who aren't engineers and chemists with laboratories at their disposal". It is nice to see members of the House and the Senate putting their differences aside and doing what is right to protect our children. The last thing that we need is a repeat of the horrors from the recalls from last year for toys such as the Thomas Tank Engine trains and Dora the Explorer/ Diego toys.
Click here to read the ABC.com article on Safety for Children's Toys.
Click here to read Consumer Safety Protections Bill H.R. 4040
