Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following joint statement today after the House of Representatives passed four consumer protection bills:
“Today’s House passage of four consumer protection bills is a strong step toward protecting American families by keeping dangerous products off the market and studying emerging threats to save lives. One of the bills passed today will protect babies and infants by banning dangerous inclined sleepers and crib bumpers that should not even be on the market. Other bills require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to address long-known dangers with furniture tip-overs and study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths from consumer products. We commend our colleagues for their leadership on these important consumer protection bills and look forward to continuing to work together to see these bills signed into law on behalf of American consumers and their safety."
The House of Representatives passed the following four bills:
H.R. 3752, the “Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act," was introduced by Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Fred Upton (R-MI). The bill would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. It would also direct the Secretary of Commerce to study and report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry in the United States. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.
H.R. 3723, the “Consumer Safety Technology Act," was introduced by Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and Michael Burgess (R-TX). The bill would direct the CPSC to establish a pilot program to explore the use of artificial intelligence for at least one of the following purposes: 1) tracking injury trends; 2) identifying consumer product hazards; 3) monitoring the retail marketplace for the sale of recalled consumer products; or 4) identifying unsafe imported consumer products. The bill also directs the Department of Commerce to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on the state of blockchain technology in commerce. Additionally, this bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to submit to Congress a report and recommendations on unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to digital tokens. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.
H.R. 3182, the “Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021," was introduced by Reps. Cárdenas and Schakowsky. The bill would designate inclined sleepers for infants and crib bumpers as banned hazardous products under section 8 of the Consumer Product Safety Act. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.
H.R. 1314, the “Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act" or the “STURDY Act," was introduced by Schakowsky. The bill would direct the CPSC to issue a consumer product safety standard for clothing storage units to prevent them from tipping over onto children. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.
