Message from my Senator about CPSIA regs (a clarification)

susiestar

Roll With It
A couple of weeks ago i emailed my senator about the problems the new CPSIA regulations would impose on anyone who resell's children's items.

According to him, the "clarification" of the CPSIA says that resellers of kids' items do not have to test products but that they CAN be held accountable if the items are over the lead limit.

This makes NO sense to me. How on earth is a mom supposed to know before she puts it in her garage sale? Same for thrift stores, etc...

Apparently it makes no sense to my senator because he authored or co-authored S374 which would fix that little problem and many others in the cumbersome regulations.

S 374 would exempt resellers from CPSIA and then would also let small businesses use 3rd party certificates (mfg or part maker's certification that the item or components they use meet the regulations) rather than make them test it all over again.

It would also offer a Good Faith exemption for businesses who relied on 3rd party certificates and later found the item did not meet regulation.



I thought that this would be of interest to parents here. S 3.74 has not passed, and I am NOT asking anyone to contact anyone about it. I just thought it was neat to get a reply from the Senator and to get some clarification on this new set of regulations.

Let's hope S 374 or something similar passes so our garage sales and thrift stores are still allowed to sell kids stuff.

Susie
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
I think that the law making thrift stores, flea marketers and yard sales basically exempt has passed in my state, but I could be wrong. It should be federally, but it might go state to state, right now. This was a big to-do among my homeschooling friends when this came up a while ago.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
CPSIA is a federal reg, so the states cannot vote things that go against it.

It was a big deal here with our church (runs the best thrift store in town) and with the homeschool and freecycle groups.

Right now, Federal law still says that the yard sales, thrift stores, etc.. can skip testing but cannot sell items that do not meet the allowable levels. Not sure how you would know. I think, with the other measures up in the Senate, enforcement is not going to happen until they know what the new measures will be.

But I think private sales are pretty much unregulateable. I know some areas charge sales tax on yard sales, or you have to buy a permit to have one, but many people don't follow those regs.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Our town is split -

We volunteer mostly with the Salvation Army and they have been throwing childrens toys and cribs and other stuff away. I told them they should put it off to the side and sent it to the Goodwill up the road beacuse THEY have a sign up that says "We do our best, but..." and are still putting out everything they get.

It has hurt their business and I hestitate to have a yard sale this Spring because I just KNOW if anyone were to get clobbered by this - it would be me.

Another place on the television showed a man that bought the testing machine - if it were a doll - you have to test all 6 parts - head, trunk, 2 arms, 2 legs in this machine and it's not cheap. I dont' know how anyone would absorb those costs.

Keep me posted on this Susie - I would love to write my senator as well. I'm sure they'd like to hear me bark about something besides difficult child and MR kids for a change.

Thanks
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I will let you know what I find out Star. I think they went overboard on this. just in my humble opinion. The requirements as they stand are still going to put the hurt on a bunch of small businesspeople. because CLOTHES have to be tested as well. So it will put the hurt on us lower income people who already buy our kids' clothes at thrift stores too! But, I guess we will all just freecycle stuff.
 
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