Dear _____
Thank you for contacting me concerning how small toy manufacturers comply with provisions contained in H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. I appreciate hearing from you regarding this important matter.
As you know, H.R. 4040 became law on August 14, 2008. The law allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the authority to create regulations to implement the law.
Like you, I have concerns with the implementation of this law. The intent of the law is to protect children's health and safety and not to put undue burdens on small toy manufacturers. I have contacted IMR Labs, a CPSC accredited test lab with offices in Portland, to inquire about the cost of testing to comply with the statute. A representative from the lab stated that the cost of testing a painted toy would generally be nominal, in the range of $50 -$100.
I have also contacted the CPSC about this important issue, and I am confident that the rulemaking process will take the concerns of small toy manufacturers and retailers into account.
Thank you again for sharing your views on this issue. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact me at 503-326-2901 or 800-422-4003.
With warm regards,
David Wu
Member of Congress
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I'm an Etsy newbie who's spending a good deal of time becoming familiar with the site, business practices, and the law before actually getting started selling (seems the smart thing to do). When the CPSIA thing came up, I was really concerned, since my preferred craft is for children.
I wrote my letter to Mr Wu as soon as CPSIA started becoming a question of interest on Etsy, and he's only just responded....additionally, I didn't even use painted toys in my letter. I used a stuffed animal similar to what I make, and gave him a blow by blow count of how much it would cost to test it!
It's so frustrating...the people who can make change aren't bothering to do thorough research- how can we ever expect things to change with that kind of attitude? :\
