Consumer Reports (CR),formerly Consumers Union (CU),is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing,investigative journalism,consumer-oriented research,public education,and consumer advocacy.
ASTM International,formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials,is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials,products,systems,and services. Some 12,575 ASTM voluntary consensus standards operate globally. The organization's headquarters is in West Conshohocken,Pennsylvania,about 5 mi (8.0 km) northwest of Philadelphia.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government. The CPSC seeks to promote the safety of consumer products by addressing "unreasonable risks" of injury;developing uniform safety standards;and conducting research into product-related illness and injury. In part due to its small size,the CPSC attempts to coordinate with outside parties—including companies and consumer advocates—to leverage resources and expertise to achieve outcomes that advance consumer safety. The agency was created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act. The agency reports to Congress and the President;it is not part of any other department or agency in the federal government. The CPSC has five commissioners,who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for staggered seven-year terms. Historically,the commission was often run by three commissioners or fewer. Since 2009,however,the agency has generally been led by five commissioners,one of whom serves as chairman. The commissioners set policy for the CPSC. The CPSC is headquartered in Bethesda,Maryland.
Joseph Manchin III is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia,a seat he has held since 2010. Manchin was the 34th governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010 and the 27th secretary of state of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005. He became the state's senior U.S. senator when Jay Rockefeller left office in 2015 and has since been West Virginia's only congressional Democrat. Before entering politics,Manchin helped found and was the president of Enersystems,a coal brokerage company his family owns and operates.
Harold Duane "Hal" Stratton,Jr. is an American lawyer currently practicing law with the Albuquerque office of the Denver based western regional law firm,Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP. In addition to a career in the private practice of law,he has served in the New Mexico House of Representatives (1979–86),as the Attorney General of New Mexico (1987–1990) and as the chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (2002–2006).
A rare-earth magnet is a strong permanent magnet made from alloys of rare-earth elements. Developed in the 1970s and 1980s,rare-earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets made,producing significantly stronger magnetic fields than other types such as ferrite or alnico magnets. The magnetic field typically produced by rare-earth magnets can exceed 1.2 teslas,whereas ferrite or ceramic magnets typically exhibit fields of 0.5 to 1 tesla.
Richard Louis Trumka was an American attorney and organized labor leader. He served as president of the United Mine Workers from 1982 to 1995,and then was secretary-general of the AFL–CIO from 1995 to 2009. He was elected president of the AFL–CIO on September 16,2009,at the federation's convention in Pittsburgh,and served in that position until his death.
Viking Range Corporation is an American appliance company that manufactures kitchen appliances for residential and commercial use. Today the company offers three complete lines of premium appliances including cooking,ventilation,kitchen clean-up and refrigeration,as well as various outdoor appliances. Viking originated the "professional" segment of kitchen appliances with its introduction of the first professional-grade range for home use in 1987. In addition to its "Professional" "Designer" series,Viking's latest offering is their new "Commercial" line of kitchen appliances for use in restaurant and other commercial kitchens. Headquartered on historic Cotton Row in downtown Greenwood,Mississippi,Viking Range employs more than 1,000 people at four manufacturing facilities in Leflore County. In 2013,the Middleby Corporation acquired Viking Range Corporation for $380 million in cash. Within a couple of months of the acquisition the company laid off one-fifth of its employees.
The Consumer Safety Act (CPSA) was enacted on October 27,1972,by the United States Congress. The act should not be confused with an earlier Senate Joint Resolution 33 of November 20,1967,which merely established a temporary National Commission on Product Safety (NCPS),and for only 90-days. Section 4 of the 1972 act established the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as a permanent independent agency of the United States federal government and defined its basic authority. The act gives CPSC the power to develop safety standards and pursue recalls for products that present unreasonable or substantial risks of injury or death to consumers. It also allows CPSC to ban a product if there is no feasible alternative to an outright ban. CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 different consumer products. The CPSA excludes from jurisdiction those products that expressly lie in another federal agency's jurisdiction,for example food,drugs,cosmetics,medical devices,tobacco products,firearms and ammunition,motor vehicles,pesticides,aircraft,and boats. These products may fall under the purview of agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco,Firearms and Explosives,the U.S. Department of Agriculture,the U.S. Department of Transportation,the U.S. Environment Protection Agency,and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Nancy Ann Nord is an American former commissioner of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). She served alongside Hal Stratton,Anne Northup,and Ann Marie Buerkle.
Toy safety is the practice of ensuring that toys,especially those made for children,are safe,usually through the application of set safety standards. In many countries,commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In the U.S.,some toys must meet national standards,while other toys may not have to meet a defined safety standard. In countries where standards exist,they exist in order to prevent accidents,but there have still been some high-profile product recalls after such problems have occurred. The danger is often not due to faulty design;usage and chance both play a role in injury and death incidents as well.
The House Subcommittee on Innovation,Data and Commerce is a subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The subcommittee was known as the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce until the 118th Congress,when data policy was transferred to it from the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection,Product Safety,and Data Security is a subcommittee within the United States Senate Committee on Commerce,Science,and Transportation. It was formerly named the Subcommittee on Manufacturing,Trade,and Consumer Protection,Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs,Insurance,and Automotive Safety and the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection,Product Safety,Insurance and Data Security before getting its current title at the beginning of the 117th United States Congress.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 is a United States law signed on August 14,2008 by President George W. Bush. The legislative bill was known as HR 4040,sponsored by Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.). On December 19,2007,the U.S. House approved the bill 407-0. On March 6,2008,the U.S. Senate approved the bill 79-13. The law—public law 110-314—increases the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),imposes new testing and documentation requirements,and sets new acceptable levels of several substances. It imposes new requirements on manufacturers of apparel,shoes,personal care products,accessories and jewelry,home furnishings,bedding,toys,electronics and video games,books,school supplies,educational materials and science kits. The Act also increases fines and specifies jail time for some violations.
Pamela B. Gilbert is an American lawyer and has been a partner of the law firm Cuneo Gilbert &LaDuca,LLP since 2003,where she heads the firm's lobbying practice. Gilbert is a noted consumer rights advocate who has testified before Congress over fifty times and made dozens of appearances in the national print and electronic media. Gilbert leads the Committee to Support Antitrust laws (COSAL),an organization supportive of antitrust legislation.
Ann Marie Buerkle is an American nurse,attorney,and politician. She served as a commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) beginning in July 2013 and was the agency's acting chairman from February 2017 to September 2019. During her tenure,the number of companies fined declined sharply,and she was criticized by consumer advocates. Buerkle’s public service career stalled after accusations of mismanagement and incompetence. Buerkle was an Assistant New York State Attorney General from 1997 through 2010. She served as the U.S. representative for the New York's 25th congressional district,elected in 2010 in an upset of a Democratic incumbent. In a rematch of her 2010 contest,Buerkle was defeated by former Congressman Dan Maffei. She is a member of the Republican Party.
Robert S. Adler is a consumer advocate in the United States. He was a member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,and recently served as its acting chairman from October 2019 to October 2021. He is a Democrat,and became acting chair due to a surprise vote crossing party lines from former acting chair Ann Marie Buerkle.
Elliot F. Kaye is a former Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He served as a commissioner of the agency from 2014 through 2021,and was chairman from 2014 to 2017 under the Obama administration,directing the U.S. government's oversight and recall of everyday products that can cause injury or death.
The Build Back Better Act was a bill introduced in the 117th Congress to fulfill aspects of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Plan. It was spun off from the American Jobs Plan,alongside the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,as a $3.5 trillion Democratic reconciliation package that included provisions related to climate change and social policy. Following negotiations,the price was lowered to approximately $2.2 trillion. The bill was passed 220–213 by the House of Representatives on November 19,2021.
Alexander Hoehn-Saric is an American attorney and government official. Since October 2021,Hoehn-Saric has served as chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission,concurrently serving as a commissioner. Hoehn-Saric is a Democrat.
