[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 87 (Friday, June 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S7877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Fitzgerald):
  S. 1261. A bill to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I am joined by the Chairman of the 
Senate Commerce Committee's Consumer Affairs and Product Safety 
Subcommittee, Senator Fitzgerald, in introducing the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission Reauthorization Act of 2003. This legislation is 
designed to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC or 
Commission, in furtherance of its mission to protect consumers by 
reducing the risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer 
products. This vital consumer protection agency has not been 
reauthorized since 1990.
  This bill would authorize funding for the Commission for fiscal years 
2004 through 2007. The bill also would clarify CPSC employee position 
titles that have evolved informally over time.
  The CPSC is essential to ensuring the safety of the approximately 
15,000 consumer and household products marketed and sold to American 
consumers. However, because the agency has not been reauthorized for 
more than a decade, the Commission has fallen behind in its ability to 
upgrade its technology, meet its overhead expenses, and retain needed 
staff. Funding for the Commission has not kept pace with the cost of 
regulating the ever-increasing number of products covered by its 
jurisdiction.
  I look forward to working on this important consumer protection 
legislation and I hope that my colleagues will join us in expeditiously 
moving this reauthorization through the legislative process. 
Reauthorizing the CPSC is crucial to the Commission's successful 
efforts to protect American consumers.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1261

       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 ``Consumer Product Safety 
     Commission Reauthorization Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 32(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 
     2081(a)) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1) $60,000,000 for fiscal Year 2004;
       ``(2) $66,800,000 for fiscal year 2005;
       ``(3) $70,100,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
       ``(4) $73,600,000 for fiscal year 2007.''.

     SEC. 3. FTE STAFFING LEVELS.

       Section 4(g) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 
     2053(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) The Commission is authorized to hire and maintain a 
     full time equivalent staff of 471 persons in each of fiscal 
     years 2004 through 2007.''.

     SEC. 4. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OFFICERS.

       So much of section 4(g) of the Consumer Product Safety Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 2053(g) as precedes paragraph (2) is amended to 
     read as follows:
       ``(g) Executive Director; Officers and Employees.--
     (1)(A)The Chairman, subject to the approval of the 
     Commission, shall appoint as officers of the Commission an 
     Executive Director, a General Counsel, an Associate Executive 
     Director for Engineering Sciences, an Associate Executive 
     Director for Laboratory Sciences, an Associate Executive 
     Director for Epidemiology, an Associate Executive Director 
     for Health Sciences, an Assistant Executive Director for 
     Compliance, an Associate Executive Director for Economic 
     Analysis, an Associate Executive Director for Administration, 
     an Associate Executive Director for Field Operations, an 
     Assistant Executive Director for Office of hazard 
     Identification and Reduction, an Assistant Executive Director 
     for Information Services, and a Director for Office of 
     Information and Public Affairs. Any other individual 
     appointed to a position designated as an Assistant or 
     Associate Executive Director shall be appointed by the 
     Chairman, subject to the approval of the Commission. The 
     Chairman may only appoint an attorney to the position of 
     Assistant Executive Director for Compliance, but this 
     restriction does not apply to the position of Acting 
     Assistant Executive Director for Compliance.''.
                                 ______