HR 4266

110th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. R. 4266

To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue regulations concerning the safety and labeling of certain furniture.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 4, 2007

Ms. SCHWARTZ (for herself and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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A BILL

To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue regulations concerning the safety and labeling of certain furniture.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Katie Elise and Meghan Agnes Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 victims are treated annually in hospital emergency rooms in the United States for injuries associated with the tipping over of furniture or appliances, and more than 100 deaths have been reported since 2000. Approximately 80 percent of the injuries were incurred by children under age 5.

(2) These injuries and deaths frequently occur when children climb onto, fall against, or pull themselves up on such items as shelves, bookcases, dressers, bureaus, desks, chests, television stands, and television sets.

(3) ASTM International, a voluntary consensus standards organization, has issued a voluntary standard to prevent furniture tipping accidents. However, many furniture manufacturers do not abide by the voluntary standard.

(4) Glass tables without safety glass injure more than 15,000 people a year.

(5) The European Union requires that glass table tops be made of safety glass, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued standards for the use of safety glass in doors, storm doors, bathtub doors, shower doors, and sliding glass doors, but not in tables and other furniture.

(6) The issuance of mandatory safety standards to prevent accidents related to furniture tipover and glass furniture would greatly reduce the risk of injuries associated with these products.

SEC. 3. FURNITURE TIPPING SAFETY STANDARDS.

(a) Rulemaking; Applicable Furniture- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (in this Act referred to as the `Commission') shall promulgate final consumer product safety standards under section 7(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056(a)) applicable to any furniture that the Commission determines poses a substantial safety hazard due to tipping because of its design, height, weight, stability, or other features.

(b) Safety Standards- At a minimum, the standards prescribed under subsection (a) shall be substantially the same as the January 22, 2007 proposed revision to standard ASTM F2057-06 or any successor standard thereto issued by ASTM International, which requires applicable furniture to withstand pressure of 50 pounds and be equipped with anchoring devices capable of withstanding 100 pounds of force.

SEC. 4. GLASS FURNITURE SAFETY STANDARDS.

(a) Rulemaking- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Act, the Commission shall promulgate final consumer product safety standards under section 7(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2058), to require that, in any furniture containing a glass surface or pane of a size the Commission determines may pose a safety hazard to consumers upon breaking, the glass contained therein be safety glass.

(b) Safety Glass Defined- For purposes of the safety standard required under this section, the term `safety glass' means reinforced glass that has been laminated or tempered to increase its strength or to cause it to hold together or break into small, less dangerous pieces when broken.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON FURNITURE SAFETY.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall transmit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on--

(1) the degree of industry compliance with the standards prescribed under sections 3 and 4;

(2) any enforcement actions brought by the Commission to enforce such standards; and

(3) reports of incidents involving children and furniture, including both furniture that is and is not in compliance with the standards prescribed under sections 3 and 4.

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