[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1152-E1153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY CAP LIMIT

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                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to raise the 
cap on civil penalties that the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
(CPSC) currently may impose against a person or company for knowingly 
violating the statutes that the CPSC enforces. Currently, the CPSC is 
limited to assessing a mere $1.825 million against anyone company for 
related violations.
  This amount is entirely too low to serve as an effective economic 
deterrent, especially for large corporations, and to help ensure that 
companies follow the law with regard to safe products. For some 
companies, this cap amounts to little more than a cost of doing 
business--a figure they can just write off in deciding to follow the 
law, or not.
  My legislation would raise the cap to $20 million, a more realistic 
number to serve as a deterrent against violations and a more 
appropriate penalty for violations that have occurred.
  Madam Speaker, raising the cap to an amount that better reflects 
today's economic realities will encourage manufacturers, among other 
things, to report promptly critical information about unsafe products, 
to recall defective products more quickly, and generally to comply more 
cooperatively with statutes designed to promote and ensure safe 
products in the American marketplace.

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