Consumer Product Safety Commission 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 issuing a safety standard for children's folding chairs and stools in response to the direction under Section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In addition, the Commission is amending its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies to include the safety standard for children's folding chairs and stools in the list of Notices of Requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission. Finally, the Commission is amending its regulations establishing requirements for consumer registration of durable infant or toddler products to identify children's folding stools as a durable infant or toddler product.

Section 106 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) made ASTM F963-07[epsi]1, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, a mandatory consumer product safety standard. That section also provides procedures for revisions to the standard. In accordance with these procedures, the Commission (CPSC or Commission) recently allowed the update to ASTM F963, ASTM F963-17, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety (ASTM F963-17), to become the mandatory toy standard, with one exception. This direct final rule incorporates by reference ASTM F963-17, with one exception, and updates the existing notice of requirements (NOR) that provides the criteria and process for Commission acceptance of accreditation of third party conformity assessment bodies for testing for ASTM F963 pursuant to the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) issues this final rule prohibiting children's toys and child care articles that contain concentrations of more than 0.1 percent of diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPENP), di-n-hexyl phthalate (DHEXP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP). Section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) established permanent and interim prohibitions on the sale of certain consumer products containing specific phthalates. That provision also directed the CPSC to convene a Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) to study the effects on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives as used in children's toys and child care articles and to provide recommendations to the Commission regarding whether any phthalates or phthalate alternatives, other than those already permanently prohibited, should be prohibited. The CPSIA requires the Commission to promulgate a final rule after receiving the final CHAP report. This rule fulfills that requirement.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) announces that the CPSC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of approval of a collection of information associated with the CPSC's Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets (OMB No. 3041-0127). In the Federal Register of July 21, 2017 (82 FR 33875), the CPSC published a notice announcing the agency's intent to seek an extension of approval of this collection of information. CPSC received no comments in response to that notice. 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 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) announces that the CPSC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of approval of a collection of information associated with CPSC-sponsored contests, challenges, and awards (OMB No. 3041-0151). In the Federal Register of June 26, 2017 (82 FR 28829), the CPSC published a notice announcing the agency's intent to seek an extension of approval of this collection of information. CPSC received no comments in response to that notice. 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 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 determines that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is issuing this final rule establishing a safety standard for infant bouncer seats (bouncer seats) in response to the direction of section 104(b) of the CPSIA. Additionally, the Commission is finalizing an amendment to its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies to include safety standard for bouncer seats in the list of notice of requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission, or CPSC) is issuing a final rule that determines that certain plastics with specified additives would not contain the specified phthalates prohibited in children's toys and child care articles. Based on these determinations, the specified plastics with specified additives will not require third party testing for compliance with the mandatory prohibitions on children's toys and child care articles containing phthalates.

In this document, the Commission publishes its semiannual regulatory flexibility agenda. In addition, this document includes an agenda of regulatory actions that the Commission expects to be under development or review by the agency during the next year. This document meets the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 12866. The Commission welcomes comments on the agenda and on the individual agenda entries.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) announces that there will be an opportunity for interested persons to present oral comments on the petition requesting that the Commission initiate rulemaking under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) to declare several categories of products containing additive organohalogen flame retardants to be ``banned hazardous substances.''

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) announces that the CPSC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of approval of a collection of information relating to the procedures for the export of noncomplying products (OMB No. 3041-0003). In the Federal Register of May 3, 2017 (84 FR 20590), the CPSC published a notice announcing the agency's intent to seek an extension of approval of this collection of information. CPSC received no comments in response to that notice. 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) announces that the CPSC has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a request for extension of approval of a collection of information from persons who may voluntarily participate in consumer focus groups. In the Federal Register of May 3, 2017 (82 FR 20589), the CPSC published a notice announcing the agency's intent to seek an extension of approval of this collection of information. CPSC received no comments in response to that notice. 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 Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, Commission) announces that there will be an opportunity for interested persons to present oral comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) the Commission issued to address blade-contact injuries on table saws. The NPR proposed a standard that requires table saws limit the depth of cut to 3.5 millimeters when a test probe, acting as surrogate for a human body/finger, contacts the spinning blade at a radial approach rate of 1 meter per second (m/s). Any oral comments will be part of the rulemaking record.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, or Commission) seeks suggestions for ways the Commission could potentially reduce burdens and costs of its existing rules, regulations, or practices without harming consumers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission) will conduct a public hearing to receive views from all interested parties about the Commission's agenda and priorities for fiscal year 2018, which begins on October 1, 2017, and for fiscal year 2019, which begins on October 1, 2018. We invite members of the public to participate. Written comments and oral presentations concerning the Commission's agenda and priorities for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 will become part of the public record.

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 the Consumer Product Safety Commission's regulations. Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., and Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A., containing a civil penalty in the amount of five million, two hundred thousand dollars ($5,200,000), within thirty (30) days of service of the Commission's final Order accepting the Settlement Agreement.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined preliminarily that there may be an unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries associated with table saws. In 2015, there were an estimated 33,400 table saw, emergency department-treated injuries. Of these, CPSC staff estimates that 30,800 (92 percent) are likely related to the victim making contact with the saw blade. CPSC staff's review of the existing data indicates that currently available safety devices, such as the modular blade guard and riving knife, do not adequately address the unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries on table saws. To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule that is based, in part, on work conducted by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. The proposed rule would establish a performance standard that requires table saws, when powered on, to limit the depth of cut to 3.5 millimeters when a test probe, acting as surrogate for a human body/finger, contacts the spinning blade at a radial approach rate of 1 meter per second (m/s). The proposed rule would address an estimated 54,800 medically treated blade-contact injuries annually. The Commission estimates that the proposed rule's aggregate net benefits on an annual basis could range from about $625 million to about $2,300 million.

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 clearance for the collection of qualitative feedback on agency service delivery. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) previously approved the collection of information under control number 3041-0148. OMB's most recent extension of approval will expire on August 31, 2017. 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, 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 August 31, 2017. 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.

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 the Consumer Product Safety Commission's regulations. Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with The Middleby Corporation and Viking Range LLC, containing a civil penalty in the amount of four million, six hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($4,650,000), within thirty (30) days of service of the Commission's final Order accepting the Settlement Agreement.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) announces that the Commission has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of approval of a collection of information associated with the Commission's Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles and the Standard for the Flammability of Vinyl Plastic Film approved previously under OMB Control No. 3041-0024. In the Federal Register of January 25, 2017 (82 FR 8411), the CPSC published a notice 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.