[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H4556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   VENDING MACHINE SAFETY ACT OF 2005

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
introduction of a bill that I dropped in yesterday, the Vending Machine 
Safety Act of 2005. This is a bill I introduced three Congresses ago 
due to its importance in protecting our children.
  Imagine going on a routine grocery shopping trip with your child, Mr. 
Speaker. While shopping, you suddenly notice that your child is 
missing. This is every parent's nightmare. Last month, this nightmare 
became a frightening reality for a mother in Indiana. However, in this 
incident, there was a twist.
  Her 3-year-old child was found trapped in a crane vending machine 
that he had crawled into. Without safety measures and immediate access 
to the owner, the machine held the young boy captive until the local 
fire department was brought in to release him.
  While this event was not life-threatening, about one-third of vending 
machine injuries reported since 1978 have been. In the interest of 
protecting both children and adults, it is the reason I introduced the 
Vending Machine Safety Act.
  This Vending Machine Safety Act of 2005 directs the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission to issue a consumer product safety standard for the 
manufacturing and installation of all vending machines. Whether in 
signage or further protective measures, the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission will report on how best to ensure the safety uses of these 
vending machines that are both cost-effective for manufacturers and 
protect the stores from liability.
  Since 1990, 43 vending machine injuries have been reported to the 
Consumer Product Safety Commission. Almost 60 percent of these vending 
injuries involved minors, and almost 35 percent of the injuries were 
children under 10. While some vending machine manufacturers may place 
warnings on their machines, most do not.
  The need to protect our children from further vending machine related 
injuries is clear. I ask my colleagues to support the Vending Machine 
Safety Act of 2005.

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