On May 3, 2023, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a provisional order with a $15.8 million civil penalty against Wisconsin-based Generac Power Systems, Inc. (Generac) over charges that for more than two years, Generac failed to report serious hazards caused by some of its portable generators. According to the CPSC, from October
CPSC
CPSC Adopts Mandatory Standard to Prevent Furniture Tip-Overs


On April 19, 2023, the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) voted to adopt ASTM F2057-23 as a mandatory safety standard to prevent injuries and deaths of children from the tip-over of freestanding clothing storage units (CSUs). The newly adopted standard supersedes a prior CPSC safety standard for CSUs that was due to…
CPSC Initiates Proposed Rulemaking on Information Disclosure Procedures


On February 8, 2023, a majority of commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) voted to issue a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPR) on the CPSC’s procedures for disclosing information to the public under Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The notice follows the publication of a briefing…
CPSC Adopts New Furniture Tip-Over Rule

On October 19, 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) approved a Final Rule imposing mandatory safety requirements for clothing storage units (CSUs) that will, according to the CPSC, “significantly change the way clothing storage units are tested and labeled” to address furniture tip-over hazards. The rulemaking has been in the works…
CPSC to Hold Workshop on Beta Testing of eFiling Compliance Data for Imported Consumer Products


In a notice published in the Federal Register on August 8, 2022, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff announced that the CPSC will hold a workshop on October 13, 2022, to discuss CPSC’s eFiling Program and the Commission’s plans for a joint Beta Pilot Test with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (previously…
Senate Confirms Mary Boyle as 5th CPSC Commissioner

Nearly a year after she was first nominated, Mary Boyle was confirmed Wednesday to be a Commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). When she takes office for a term that will run through October 2025, Boyle will bring the Commission to its full five-member strength for the first time since 2019.
Boyle…
Another New Face at CPSC as Trumka Confirmed

Richard Trumka, Jr., nominated by President Biden for a seat on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), was confirmed Tuesday evening, November 16, 2021, by a unanimous voice vote in the Senate. When he takes his oath of office, which will likely be within a week or two, Trumka will take the seat of…
CPSC Has a New Chair

Alexander Hoehn-Saric, nominated by President Biden for both a seat on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the chairmanship of that body, was confirmed late Thursday night by a unanimous voice vote. When he takes his oath of office, Hoehn-Saric will be CPSC’s first permanent chair in more than four years.
Fellow Democrat…
CPSC May Have a Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Plan – but not Without Controversy

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved its Operating Plan (Op Plan) for the 2022 Fiscal Year (FY 22) that begins October 1, 2021, according to a joint statement from its two Republican members, Dana Baiocco and Peter Feldman. The Op Plan is the central governing document for CPSC, outlining the projects and…
White House Nominates Third CPSC Commissioner

After more than five months of silence regarding its choices to lead the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”), the Biden Administration has now unveiled all three of its CPSC nominees in less than two weeks, with its July 13 announcement of President Biden’s intent to nominate Richard Trumka, Jr., currently General Counsel and…