[Senate Report 117-111]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                  Calendar No. 205

117th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
  2d Session  }                                           { 117-111

======================================================================
 
                    COVID-19 HOME SAFETY ACT OF 2021

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 OF THE

           COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                                   ON

                                 S. 116

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


     May 18 (legislative day, May 17), 2022.--Ordered to be printed
     
                             __________

                  U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
                           WASHINGTON : 2022         
          
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       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                    one hundred seventeenth congress
                             second session

                   MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut      JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii                 ROY BLUNT, Missouri
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts         TED CRUZ, Texas
GARY PETERS, Michigan                DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin             JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana                  MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              TODD YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  MIKE LEE, Utah
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico            RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado          SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia

RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia             RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
                       Lila Helms, Staff Director
                  John Keast, Minority Staff Director
                  
                  
                                                  Calendar No. 205

117th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
  2d Session  }                                           { 117-111

======================================================================                  
 
                    COVID-19 HOME SAFETY ACT OF 2021

                                _______
                                

     May 18 (legislative day, May 17), 2022.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

      Ms. Cantwell, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 116]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 
which was referred the bill (S. 116) to require the Consumer 
Product Safety Commission to study the effect of the COVID-19 
pandemic on injuries and deaths associated with consumer 
products, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that 
the bill (as amended) do pass.

                          PURPOSE OF THE BILL

    The purpose of the bill is to require the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission (CPSC) to submit to Congress and make 
publicly available, within 3 months of the bill's enactment and 
every 3 months thereafter while the 2019 novel coronavirus 
(COVID-19) public health emergency continues, a report on the 
effect of the COVID-19 public health emergency on injuries and 
deaths from consumer products. The CPSC must also collaborate 
with public media outlets to distribute resource information 
for increasing home safety during the COVID-19 public health 
emergency, based on the contents of the report.

                          BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led many Americans to spend more 
time at home. A November 2020 study from the Injury 
Epidemiology journal found that 26 percent of respondents 
reported a household injury between March and June 2020. This 
represents a large increase from a 2017 national survey, in 
which only 14 percent of respondents reported a household 
injury.\1\ As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is important 
to better understand how lifestyle changes may impact consumer 
safety, as well as what can be done to better protect consumers 
from product safety risks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Sumathi Reddy, ``Strains, Sprains, and Pinched Nerves: Injuries 
at Home Are on the Rise,'' Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2021 (https:/
/www.wsj.com/articles/strains-sprains-and-pinched-nerves-injuries-at-
home-are-on-the-rise-11618833605).
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                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 116 was introduced by Senator Klobuchar (for herself and 
Senator Moran) on January 28, 2021, and was referred to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate. On May 12, 2021, the Committee met in open Executive 
Session and, by voice vote, ordered S. 116 reported favorably 
with amendments. On May 18, 2021, Senators Wicker and 
Blumenthal joined as cosponsors to S. 116.

                            ESTIMATED COSTS

    In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the 
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget 
Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 11, 2021.
Hon. Maria Cantwell,
Chairwoman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. 
        Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Chairwoman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 116, the COVID-19 
Home Safety Act of 2021.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Ryan 
Greenfield.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    S. 116 would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
(CPSC) to report to the Congress every three months on injuries 
and deaths from consumer products related to the COVID-19 
public health emergency. The bill also would direct CPSC to 
coordinate with public media outlets to distribute information 
from those reports to improve home safety. Based on information 
from CPSC and the cost of similar studies, CBO estimates that 
implementing S. 116 would cost less than $500,000 over the 
2021-2026 period.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Ryan Greenfield. 
The estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Director of Budget 
Analysis.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

    Because S. 116 does not create any new programs, the 
legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will 
result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation 
will have no further effect on the number or types of 
individuals and businesses regulated, the economic impact of 
such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals, 
or the paperwork required from such individuals and businesses.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no 
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the 
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the 
rule.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title.

    This section provides that the bill may be cited as the 
``COVID-19 Home Safety Act of 2021''.

Section 2. Report.

    Paragraph (a) directs the CPSC, no later than 3 months 
after the bill's enactment and every 3 months thereafter for 
the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, to submit 
to Congress and make publicly available a report on the effect 
of the COVID-19 public health emergency on injuries and deaths 
from consumer products.
    Paragraph (b) requires that the report include the 
following: (1) a list of the top consumer products, 
prioritizing products associated with the highest risk of 
injury or death during the COVID-19 emergency; (2) 
identification of trends in injuries and deaths in the 
previously listed products from time periods before and during 
the COVID-19 emergency; (3) identification of subpopulations, 
such as minorities and infants, that have faced increased risk 
of injury or death from the listed products during the COVID-19 
emergency; (4) identification of where most injuries and deaths 
from consumer products during the COVID-19 emergency are 
occurring, such as the types of buildings or outdoor 
environments; (5) whether any listed products are under recall 
or other corrective action, or are subject to a voluntary or 
mandatory consumer product safety standard; (6) identification 
of any emerging consumer products or product categories that 
pose new risks to consumers; and (7) a comprehensive assessment 
of the CPSC's operations, re-entry criteria, operational 
readiness, enforcement efforts, and corrective action taken 
during the COVID-19 emergency, along with recommendations to 
improve the CPSC's ability to address unforeseen effects of the 
COVID-19 emergency on consumer product safety.
    Paragraph (c) requires the CPSC to work with public media 
outlets to disseminate information based on the report to help 
increase home safety during the COVID-19 emergency.
    Paragraph (d) defines the term ``COVID-19 public health 
emergency'' as a public health emergency declared pursuant to 
section 319 of the Public Health Service Act\2\ ``as a result 
of confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19),'' 
including any renewal thereof.
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    \2\42 U.S.C. 247d.
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                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the 
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.

                                  [all]