FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2011
Contact: Adele R. Meyer, Executive Director
586.294.6700 or adele@narts.org

Breaking News... H.R. 2715 Brings Relief to the Children’s Resale Industry

St. Clair Shores, MI—At lightning speed, on August 1, 2011, the House and then the Senate passed the Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act, H.R. 2715—legislation which reforms portions of the CPSIA. The bill was signed into law on August 12th by President Obama. The bi-partisan measure—sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-CA—was introduced and passed by the House with a vote of 421-2, then promptly passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate later the same day. With all the media concentration on the debt ceiling bill, H.R. 2715 received virtually no media coverage.

The twenty-nine page bill has provisions to exclude used children's products from the lead limit with the exception of children's metal jewelry and any children's product which the donating party or the seller has actual knowledge of the product being in violation of the lead limits. Of course, there are no exclusions for any recalled products and although phthalates remain retroactive, there is an exclusion for inaccessible parts, similar to the exclusion for inaccessible parts containing lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is also given the authority to exclude further children's products or product categories in the future. So, implementation by the CPSC will be key!

NARTS has been fighting diligently for CPSIA reforms for more than two years, speaking on the behalf of children's resale to everyone in Washington who would listen and even more vehemently to those who turned a deaf ear. Responding to the media frenzy, we communicated with countless, truly countless, numbers of reporters eager to publicize and support our cause... bringing awareness and understanding to the general public. Our campaign to “Help Save Children's Resale" took on a life of its own... receiving unprecedented support not only from resalers across the country, but from consumers who embraced an end to the unintentional consequences brought about by the CPSIA. The persistent, hard work and determination of all involved was time consuming and at times seemed fruitless. Yet we continued to strive for relief from lead limits on apparel and other products that are inherently lead free. Resale became an industry undivided toward this goal. This bill marks the first changes to the CPSIA since it was passed in 2008 and is a victory for the children’s resale industry!

The Act makes the new 100ppm lead limit, which goes into effect on August 14, 2011, prospective. It also created relief to bicycles and ATVs from lead limits and testing, granted limited relief to small batch manufacturers and excluded printed books from the lead limit.

“Resale professionals have always been strong advocates for product safety and remain committed to the protection of our nation’s children,” said Adele Meyer, NARTS Executive Director. “It is a relief and victory to see some "common sense" applied to the CPSIA. We are gratified that our industry’s strength and perseverance have contributed to H.R. 2715 which includes measured steps to address some of the issues raised by our industry.”

As an Association... our first and foremost concern is the safety of our Nation's children and we will continue to support product safety and the necessity for the recall of dangerous products.

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About NARTS: The Association of Resale Professionals. Established in 1984, NARTS, the world’s largest resale trade association, is dedicated to continuing education within the resale industry. The Association serves the resale industry by providing educational and professional development for future owners and current store owners/managers. NARTS is committed to product safety, educating both consumers and store operators on how to identify previously recalled or banned products and any products that do not meet current safety standards. Please visit the NARTS Website at: www.narts.org for more information.