Laws and Regulations

President Obama has nominated Marietta S. Robinson, a trial lawyer in Michigan, to serve on the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

If approved by the Senate, Robinson will fill the seat vacated by Democrat Thomas H. Moore and enable Democrats to regain control of the five-member commission, which oversees the safety of roughly 15,000 everyday consumer household products, from toys to table saws.

Moore's departure left the commission evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, raising the specter of gridlock on a panel that's been engaged in fierce partisan sniping since Congress adopted the CPSIA legislation in 2008.

California Innovations, a Toronto-based manufacturer of coolers, tote bags and drinkware, in conjunction with the CPSC, has issued a voluntary recall of two of its insulated food bags. According to the CPSC, the "Cryofreeze" freezer gel packs included in the bags can leak chemicals when damaged that are potentially poisonous when ingested.

More information from QCA's Brent Stone about the Small Batch Manufacturer's Registry and what distributors should know when looking for a compliant supplier.

The CPSC's new Small Batch Manufacturer's Registry was intended to provide relief for small companies producing children's toys, but it may have the side effect of making compliance more difficult for distributors.

President Barack Obama on Friday took aim at his government's own messy bureaucracy, prodding Congress to give him greater power to merge agencies and promising he would start by collapsing six major economic departments into one. Pressing Republicans on one of their own political issues, Obama said it was time for an "effective, lean government."

Obama wants the type of reorganizational authority last held by a president when Ronald Reagan was in office. Obama's version would be a so-called consolidation authority allowing him to propose only mergers that promise to save money and shrink government.

This week, Promo Marketing is looking at the stories that defined 2011. In the fourth part of this series, we examine the major economic and natural events that occurred this year, and what they mean to the promotional products industry.

Educational sessions and events themed around product safety and other legal concerns to the industry continue to play a large part of this year's PPAI Expo.

This week, Promo Marketing is looking at the stories that defined 2011. Today, we focus on product safety, and how the world of liability and compliance has changed the way many in the industry do business.

In an effort to remind the industry of the obligations associated with children's sleepwear and loungewear, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC's) director of compliance and field operations sent a letter to manufacturers, distributors, importers and retailers today reinforcing CPSC staff's enforcement policy on children's sleepwear and loungewear.

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) have reintroduced the the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2011 (S.1946), requiring foreign manufacturers to have a registered U.S. agent that would accept service of process for civil and regulatory claims. The bill is currently referrred to the Committee on Finance.