In February, 2009, a new law, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act , goes into affect. The purpose of this law is to require all toys sold in the U.S. to be tested by a third party to certify that they contain no lead or other hazardous materials. This Act is aimed at the proliferation of toys imported into the U.S. from China and elsewhere that have made so much news in the past couple of years...imported from countries that do not have the restrictions on hazardous materials in raw materials that we have in the U.S.
The CPSIA will require that a prototype of each toy be tested, with the testing running into four figures for each toy. If a company makes a toy truck, the toy truck must be tested. If the same company makes a toy car from the same materials, the car must be tested...and so on for each particular toy.
Here are some posts about it from the AAW web site.
1.
There is a new law going into effect next February in the USA called the “Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)”. This law requires international and domestic manufactures of all items intended to be used by children 12 years old and younger (toys, clothing, furniture, etc…) to submit every batch of manufactured product to testing by a third-party agency. The testing is intended to certify on a manufactured batch basis that these children’s items are free of hazardous materials and meet
US Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Here is a link to the Congressional Act :
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf.
The Handmade Toy Alliance sees significant problems with this act, as written, and is calling on Congress to amend the Act so that small USA, Canadian and European businesses and hobbyist are exempted from the financially onerous third-party testing provisions.
If you make toys or other items intended for children’s use, you should dial into the HTA’s site to read more about this legislation, the potential impact on your business or hobby income, and the proposed amendments to this Act.
Here are some links to recently published news articles on the subject...good, but scary reading:
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The federal government is here to help you
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Small toy stores fear new U.S. regulations
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New toy safety law no fun for retailers
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Legislating Montana Small Businesses Out of Business
2.
Here's an update on the proposed law I was just sent.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...ihx7wD959C7MO0
It's a step in the right direction, but there's still more to do.
3.
Not so much here, but this thing has gotten totally out of control on several other boards having to do with crafters and the like. I use a site called Event Lister and they've got a storm going on and someone just posted this:
"I spoke directly with the CPSC at length on 12/31. It is not just importers, it is everyone who deals in ANY children\\\'s products. Crafters/artisans ARE considered manufacturers. \r\n\r\nThere is a ballot vote being held on 1/5 to discuss natural materials such a wood, cotton, etc. for exemption. But only items that contain NO other materials would be exempt. So if you attach anything, paint the item, etc. it must be tested."
Before that, I posted the link to the act and told folks to read the thing before going off the deep end and another posted:
"I have read it 3 damn times... its full of leaglize forward and backwardisms... nothing reads cut and dry...it is annoying...\r\n\r\nand Mary the way many understnad it if you buy it then alter it in any way then you have to test it... which is total BS\r\n\r\nI dont make alot of the same thing ... I buy alot retail then change it up/alter it/or just put 2 or more different pieces together... why the hell should I have to then test it..."
The AP article makes sense, but I doubt there's much of that out in the big wide world of crafters.
