[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1861 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1861

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2005

Ms. Schwartz of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. Davis 
 of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


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

    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 tip over of furniture or 
        appliances, and an average of 6 deaths occur each year as a 
        result.
            (2) The majority of these injuries and deaths are to 
        children.
            (3) 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.
            (4) There are currently no mandatory safety standards in 
        place for such items of furniture and electronic appliances.
            (5) The issuance of mandatory safety standards to warn and 
        protect consumers of the dangers associated with unsecured 
        furniture and electronic appliances would reduce the risk of 
        injury or death.

SEC. 3. FURNITURE AND APPLIANCE SAFETY AND LABELING STANDARDS.

    (a) Applicable Furniture and Appliances.--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 regulations pursuant to section 7 of the Consumer Product 
Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056) applicable to any furniture or electronic 
appliance 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.--The regulations prescribed pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall, at a minimum, require--
            (1) all applicable furniture to withstand a reasonable 
        amount of pressure, as determined by the Commission, in both 
        loaded and unloaded conditions, without tipping; and
            (2) the inclusion of angle-braces, anchors, or other 
        anchoring devices, and instructions, including pictures, for 
        securing furniture to wall beams using the provided angle-
        braces or anchors, in the packaging of all furniture that does 
        not meet the requirements of paragraph (1), or furniture or 
        electronic appliances that, in the opinion of the Commission, 
        could be made more secure by the inclusion of such braces and 
        devices.

SEC. 4. LABELING REQUIREMENTS.

    In addition to the safety standards promulgated pursuant to section 
2, the Commission shall promulgate regulations requiring the following 
related to warning labels:
            (1) Warning labels shall be required on the packaging of 
        any furniture or electronic appliance that the Commission 
        determines poses a substantial safety hazard due to tipping 
        because of its design, height, weight, stability, or other 
        features. Such warning labels shall state, in a clear and 
        conspicuous manner, that unsecured furniture may tip resulting 
        in serious bodily injury or even death and shall advise 
        securing the furniture to a wall beam or using angle-braces, as 
        appropriate, to make the furniture more secure; and
            (2) Warning labels shall be required on the packaging of 
        any furniture with drawers that the Commission determines poses 
        a danger to children due to tipping. Such warning labels shall 
        state, in a clear and conspicuous manner, that children may use 
        drawers as steps causing furniture to tip resulting in serious 
        bodily injury or even death, and shall advise installing 
        locking devices on drawers to prevent the drawers from being 
        opened by children.

SEC. 5. FACTORS.

    In prescribing the safety standards under this Act, the Commission 
shall take into consideration the intended uses of the furniture or 
electronic appliance and the likelihood that, due to the design of the 
furniture, children could climb on or tip the furniture.
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