Consumer Product Safety Commission 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On November 1, 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) published in the Federal Register a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPR) to promulgate a consumer product safety standard to address blade-contact injuries on table saws. The SNPR invited the public to submit written comments during a 60-day comment period beginning on the SNPR publication date and ending on January 2, 2024. In response to a request for an extension of the comment period, the Commission is extending the comment period to February 1, 2024.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) is issuing a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPR) to revise the agency's rule for Certificates of Compliance (certificates). The SNPR proposes to align the certificate rule with other CPSC rules on testing and certification, and to implement, for imported CPSC- regulated products and substances, electronic filing of certificates (eFiling) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this is the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC or Commission) second notice inviting public comment about a request for approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. The proposed collection is associated with CPSC's investigation, through child observations and caregiver questionnaires, of smart toys and additional toys (take-apart vehicles, musical instruments, figurines, plush toys with electronic components, and manipulatives) to consider children's ability to interact with toys as the manufacturer intended and assist in updating CPSC's age determination guidelines. We received one comment on the first notice, which we address in this notice, and again describe the proposed collection of information. By publication of this notice, the Commission announces that CPSC has submitted to the OMB a request for approval of the collection of information, as proposed.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information from persons who may voluntarily participate in consumer focus groups, and revision of that collection. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0136. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on January 31, 2024. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension and revision of this collection of information from OMB.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed extension of approval of a generic collection of information for CPSC-sponsored contests, challenges, and awards. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0151. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on January 31, 2024. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension of this collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

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 of a generic clearance for the collection of qualitative feedback on agency service delivery. OMB previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0148. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on November 30, 2023. On August 28, 2023, the 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 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.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information relating to the procedures for the export of noncomplying products. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0003. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on January 31, 2024. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension of approval of this collection of information from OMB.

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 HSN, Inc., containing a civil penalty in the amount of $16,000,000 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 HSN, Inc. Commissioners statements regarding the matter can be found here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Commissioners.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in accordance with Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, is announcing the availability of CPSC's service contract inventory for fiscal year (FY) 2021, CPSC's FY 2020 service contract inventory analysis, and the plan for analyzing CPSC's FY 2021 service contract inventory.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (Commission or CPSC) mandatory rule, Safety Standard Mandating ASTM F963 for Toys, incorporates by reference ASTM F963-17, Standard Consumer Safety Specifications for Toy Safety. The Commission has received notice of a revision to this incorporated voluntary standard. CPSC seeks comment on whether the revision improves the safety of the consumer products covered by the standard.

The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 (PFCSA) provides that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) must promulgate a rule to require flame mitigation devices in portable fuel containers that impede the propagation of flame into the container, unless the Commission determines that there is a voluntary standard for flame mitigation devices that achieves the same result. In January 2023, the Commission published in the Federal Register a notice of its determinations under the PFCSA that three such voluntary standards collectively apply to all known classes of portable fuel containers. Pursuant to the PFCSA, therefore, the requirements of the three voluntary standards are treated as a consumer product safety rule under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). ASTM then notified the Commission that one standard had been revised. The Commission evaluated the revised standard and found that the revisions carry out the purposes of the PFCSA. Accordingly the revisions will be incorporated into the mandatory standard for portable fuel containers. This direct final rule creates a new part codifying the incorporation by reference of this revised standard and the other two voluntary standards that are mandatory under the PFCSA.

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. These standards are to be substantially the same as applicable voluntary standards, or more stringent than the voluntary standards if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for Infant and Infant/Toddler Rockers (rockers). The Commission is also proposing to amend CPSC's consumer registration requirements to add rockers as identified durable infant or toddler products and to amend CPSC's list of notice of requirements (NORs) to include rockers.

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.