The Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act has passed through congress with a “veto proof” majority. This bill ensures that toys and child-care products are free of brain-damaging materials like lead, and several types of phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastic that has been linked to hormonal problems in children.
This bill was shuttled through congress after 30-million toys were pulled from the shelves last year. Will new standards on toy manufacturing cause phthalate-laden toys and childcare products to be recalled in even greater numbers in 2008?
The law will also provide a much-needed $25-million cash injection to the CPSC, which will use the funds to set up a public database.
In the meantime, we urge parents to subscribe to our Toy Recall Widget (seen in the side-bar on the right) using their favorite web service, such as a personalized iGoogle homepage. We expect to see an influx of new recalls after the White House signs this bill into law.
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