Consumer Product Safety Commission 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

It is the policy of the Commission to publish settlements which it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act in the Federal Register in accordance with the terms of 16 CFR 1118.20(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Williams- Sonoma, Inc., containing a civil penalty of $987,500, within twenty (20) days of service of the Commission's final Order accepting the Settlement Agreement.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) has received a petition requesting an exception from the 100 ppm lead content limit under section 101(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), as amended by Public Law 112-28 from BIC USA Inc. (BIC). We invite written comments concerning the petition.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed 3-year extension of approval of information collection regarding a form used to verify whether pools and spas are in compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0142. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on July 31, 2013. 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.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed 3-year extension of approval of information collection regarding a form used to evaluate whether third party conformity assessment bodies meet the requirements to test for compliance to specified children's product safety rules. Third party conformity assessment bodies found to meet the requirements are listed on the CPSC Web site. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0143. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on July 31, 2013. 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 Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, Section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States 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 standard 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 soft infant and toddler carriers in response to the direction under Section 104(b) of the CPSIA.\1\

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, Commission, or we) is announcing its intent to hold a meeting on upholstered furniture fire safety technologies. The meeting will be held at the CPSC's laboratory in Rockville, MD, on April 25, 2013. We invite interested parties to participate in or attend the meeting. We also invite interested parties to submit comments related to the meeting or the possible change in regulatory approach discussed in this notice.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) proposes to update the supplemental definition of ``strong sensitizer'' under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA). The proposed amendment clarifies or adds language to eliminate redundancy, remove certain subjective factors, incorporate new and anticipated technology, rank the criteria for classification of strong sensitizers in order of importance, define criteria for ``severity of reaction,'' and indicate that a weight-of-evidence approach will be used to determine the strength of the sensitizer.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, Commission, or we) is issuing a final rule establishing requirements pertaining to the third party conformity assessment bodies (laboratories) whose accreditations are accepted to test children's products in support of the certification required by the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The final rule establishes the general requirements concerning third party conformity assessment bodies, such as the requirements and procedures for CPSC acceptance of the accreditation of a third party conformity assessment body, and it addresses adverse actions that may be imposed against CPSC-accepted third party conformity assessment bodies. The final rule also amends the audit requirements for third party conformity assessment bodies and amends the Commission's regulation on inspections.

On August 14, 2008, Congress enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), Public Law 110-314. Section 108 of the CPSIA, as amended by Public Law 112-28, provides that the prohibition on specified products containing phthalates does not apply to any component part of children's toys or child care articles that is not accessible to a child through normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of such product. In this document, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) issues guidance on inaccessible component parts in children's toys or child care articles subject to section 108 of the CPSIA.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the proposed collection of information for a report on the effectiveness of product registration cards in facilitating product recalls.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) requests comments on a proposed 3-year extension of approval of information collection requirements in the Standard for the FlammabilityOpen Flameof Mattresses Sets (Open-Flame standard), 16 CFR part 1633. The Commission has a separate flammability standard that addresses cigarette ignition of mattresses, 16 CFR part 1632. The Open- Flame standard is intended to reduce unreasonable risks of burn injuries and deaths from fires associated with mattresses, particularly those initially ignited by open-flame sources, such as lighters, candles, and matches. The Open-Flame standard prescribes a test to minimize or delay flashover when a mattress is ignited. The standard requires manufacturers to test specimens of each of their mattress prototypes before mattresses based on that prototype may be introduced into commerce. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0133. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on March 31, 2013. 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.