Below is a statement emailed to us from some very smarty friends. Thank you for sharing!
According to today’s most excellent release from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the CPSC has done the only common sense thing it could have done, and granted a one year stay of testing and certification requirements until February 10, 2010. Which means…
whoo!
Commissioner Nancy Nord in her letter to congress calls it “a time-out.” Which is exactly the right thing to do.
To quote the CPSC statement:
Manufacturers and importers large and small of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits…
The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards
The stay…does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA.
It’s all we’ve ever really wanted – to protect our kids from lead and other toxins, while being mindful of the good guys who were never a threat in the first place.
Your emails, calls, and support have been invaluable to so many small businesses. And to us.
Thank you.
Read about the one year CPSIA stay at the CPSC website.
Edited to add: Of couuuuurse this is far from over, but this is the best we could have hoped for under the circumstances. Now we have the time (and the opportunity for input) to make sure a well-intended law becomes a well-executed law that continues to keep lead and pthalates out of toys but without a burden of accountability and certification that was prohibitive for small businesses and crafters. The annoucement means public opinion, the CPSC and countless members of congress are on our side.
That, to us, is a victory.
1 comment
I am on an email list with the Handmade Toy Alliance, who have been instrumental in getting the CPSIA law reviewed. Below is what we each can do to help get the "correct" legislation through. Thanks!*****************************Thank you for your continued support to Save Small Business from the CPSIA. It has been an active week. A stay of enforcement was issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Friday, January 30th. Although it has stayed enforcement of many provisions of the law, the CPSC has made it clear that they lack authority to fully correct the CPSIA. Urge Congress to provide the CPSC with guidance that will protect toymakers, thrift resellers, publishers, and clothing manufacturers from the unintended consequences of the CPSIA. A technical amendment, the CPSIA Regulatory Relief Bill, will be introduced on the Senate floor soon. It is important that we gain Senate support for this necessary legislation. Here's what you can do:Call your Senator (switchboard: 202-224-3121). Identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak with the Senator or the staff assistant who follows Commerce issues. Ask him/her to co-sponsor the CPSIA Regulatory Relief Legislation, and tell them if they have questions about the legislation they can contact Tom Jones in Senator DeMint’s DC office at 202-224-6121. Tom’s email address is tom_jones@commerce.senate.gov Ask them to vote for the CPSIA Regulatory Relief legislation when it comes to the Senate floor, possibly as an amendment to the stimulus package as has been rumored. Get five friends to do steps 1-4. We need to show strong support of this amendment in order to get the Senate to pass it. To read the specifics of the amendment, go to:http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=JimsJournal.Detail&Blog_ID=295d58b2-b6fe-c446-1432-24b6199424ed We have also made strides in our intiative at change.org. We are in the final stages of teaming with a non profit agency and going forward with our national campaign to save small businesses. There is a new petition that you can sign and send a letter to Congress. To see the petition, go to: http://www.change.org/ideas/4203/view_action/tell_congress_to_save_small_business. Our blog posts have also begun. View these at: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia .Thank you again for your support. Our grassroots campaign would never have gotten as far as it has without the support of people like you.