Consumer Product Safety Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) has determined preliminarily that there is an unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with residential gas fired central furnaces, boilers, wall furnaces, and floor furnaces (gas furnaces and boilers). To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule to detect and prevent dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) production and leakage from residential gas furnaces and boilers. The Commission is providing an opportunity for interested parties to present written and oral comments on this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR).

The Commission publishes in the Federal Register any settlement that it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Published below is a provisionally accepted Settlement Agreement with BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc., containing a civil penalty in the amount of $9,000,000, subject to the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement. The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to provisionally accept the proposed Settlement Agreement and Order pertaining to BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (``Commission'' or ``CPSC'') is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking (``NPR'') to establish disclosure requirements for persons seeking to make certain appearances before the Commission. Specifically, the proposed requirements provide for disclosure of whether: any person other than the submitter authored, in whole or in part, an oral presentation, adjudicative testimony, or petition for rulemaking submitted to the Commission; any person other than the submitter made or has agreed to make a monetary contribution to fund the oral presentation, adjudicative testimony, or petition for rulemaking; and the submitter of a request to provide oral testimony before the Commission has an existing business relationship by which the submitter expects to receive direct or indirect financial benefit in connection with the oral presentation or the Commission activity that is the subject of the oral presentation. The Commission similarly proposes to require that any person seeking to participate as an intervenor or other participant in any adjudicative proceeding before the Commission shall disclose whether a party in the proceeding or a party's counsel authored the petition to intervene or request to participate, as well as the identity of each person who has made or has agreed to make a monetary contribution to fund the request to participate or proposed participation. Additionally, the Commission proposes disclosure of certain corporate affiliations in these contexts. Finally, the Commission proposes technical revisions to its regulations establishing procedures for filing petitions for rulemaking and requests for oral presentation.

The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for nursing pillows. The Commission is also proposing to amend CPSC's consumer registration requirements to identify nursing pillows as durable infant or toddler products and proposing to amend CPSC's list of notice of requirements (NORs) to include such nursing pillows. This proposed rule would help ensure that consumers continue to have access to nursing pillows for feeding while reducing hazards that have been identified for this product category.

In February 2023, as required by Reese's Law, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to establish performance and labeling requirements for consumer products containing button cell or coin batteries, and requirements for labeling of button cell or coin battery packages, to eliminate or adequately reduce the risk of injury from ingestion of button cell or coin batteries by children six years old and younger. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Commission is publishing a direct final rule to incorporate by reference a voluntary standard as the mandatory standard for consumer products containing button cell or coin batteries. The Commission issues this final rule to complete Reese's Law requirements for warning labels on the packaging of button cell or coin batteries. Button cell or coin battery packaging subject to this final rule must be certified as compliant with these warning label requirements.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) is publishing this notice to request information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in commerce or potentially used in consumer products, potential exposures associated with the use of PFAS in consumer products, and potential human health effects associated with exposures to PFAS from their use in consumer products. This notice also includes the availability information of a related contractor report.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) announces that the Commission has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of approval for information collection requirements set forth in the Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads, and the Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets, approved previously under OMB control number 3041-0014. On June 20, 2023, CPSC published a notice in the Federal Register to announce the agency's intention to seek extension of approval of the collection of information. The Commission has received no comments. Therefore, by publication of this notice, the Commission announces that CPSC has submitted to the OMB a request for extension of approval of that collection of information, without change.

The Commission publishes in the Federal Register any settlement that it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Published below is a provisionally accepted Settlement Agreement with Whirlpool Corporation containing a civil penalty in the amount of $11,500,000, subject to the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement. The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to provisionally accept the proposed Settlement Agreement and Order pertaining to Whirlpool Corporation.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing this final rule to codify the ban of crib bumpers pursuant to the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021, which requires that crib bumpers, regardless of the date of manufacture, shall be considered a banned hazardous product under the Consumer Product Safety Act.

In this document, the Commission publishes its semiannual regulatory flexibility agenda. In addition, this document includes an agenda of regulations that the Commission expects to develop or review during the next 12 months. This document meets the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 12866.

Notice of prehearing conference for In the Matter of Leachco, Inc.; CPSC Docket No. 22-1.

In January 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission determined under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 (PFCSA) that ASTM F3429/F3429M-20 is a mandatory consumer product safety rule that impedes the propagation of flames into pre-filled portable fuel containers covered by the standard. ASTM has since notified the Commission that it has revised this voluntary standard. CPSC seeks comment on whether the revision meets the requirements of the PFCSA.

Notice of prehearing conference for In the Matter of Leachco, Inc.; CPSC Docket No. 22-1.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) invites comments on a proposed request for extension of approval of a collection of information from manufacturers and importers of clothing, textiles and related materials intended for use in clothing under the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles and the Standard for the Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film. These regulations establish requirements for testing and recordkeeping for manufacturers and importers who furnish guaranties for products subject to these standards. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0024. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on August 31, 2023. The CPSC will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this collection of information from OMB.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will be holding a meeting on lithium-ion battery safety, with a specific focus on fires occurring in e-bikes and other micro-mobility products as well as the fire risks that may arise with the growing consumer market for other products containing such batteries. We invite interested parties to participate in or attend the meeting. A remote viewing option will be available for registrants. We also invite interested parties to submit written comments related to the issues discussed in this notice.

The Commission publishes in the Federal Register any settlement that it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Published below is a provisionally accepted Settlement Agreement with Generac Power Systems, Inc., containing a civil penalty in the amount of $15,800,00.00, subject to the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement. The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to provisionally accept the proposed Settlement Agreement and Order pertaining to Generac Power Systems, Inc.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission will be holding a meeting on the Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads at the CPSC's laboratory in Rockville, MD, on June 14, 2023. We invite interested parties to participate in or attend the meeting. A remote viewing option will be available for registrants. We also invite interested parties to submit written comments related to the possible changes to the Standard that are discussed in this notice.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) will conduct a public hearing to receive views from interested parties about the Commission's agenda and priorities for fiscal year 2024, which begins on October 1, 2023, and for fiscal year 2025, which begins on October 1, 2024. We invite members of the public to participate.

On February 9, 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to establish testing and labeling requirements for consumer products that contain or are designed to use button cell or coin batteries, and for the labeling of button cell or coin battery packaging. The NPR estimated the burden associated with these requirements for children's products, but did not include an estimated burden for testing and labeling of non-children's products or for labeling button cell or coin battery packaging. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the CPSC requests comments on a proposed collection of information for Testing and Labeling of Non-Children's Products Containing or Designed to Use Button Cell or Coin Batteries and Labeling of Button Cell or Battery Packaging. CPSC will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting a control number for this collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).