[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 141 (Friday, July 23, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 43107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17590]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Parts 1508 and 1509


Full-Size and Non-Full Size Baby Cribs: Withdrawal of Advance 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Withdrawal of advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (``Commission'') is 
terminating a proceeding for the possible amendment of the Commission's 
standards for full-size cribs, codified at 16 CFR part 1508, and for 
non-full-size cribs, codified at 16 CFR part 1509 which the Commission 
began with publication of an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on 
December 16, 1996, 61 FR 65997. On August 14, 2008, the Consumer 
Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (``CPSIA'') was enacted. Section 
104(b) of the CPSIA requires the Commission to promulgate consumer 
product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, which 
are to be ``substantially the same as'' applicable voluntary standards 
(or more stringent requirements if they would further reduce the risk 
of injury associated with the product). Elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register, the Commission is proposing safety standards for 
full-size and non-full-size baby cribs in response to section 104(b) of 
the CPSIA. The crib standards the Commission is proposing include 
provisions that address the risks of injury identified in the 1996 
ANPR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Edwards, Project Manager, 
Directorate for Engineering Sciences, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 
504-7577; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    In 1973, the Commission issued mandatory regulations for full-size 
cribs, which were amended in 1982 and are codified at 16 CFR part 1508. 
In 1976, the Commission issued nearly identical regulations for non-
full-size cribs, which were also amended in 1982, and are codified at 
16 CFR part 1509. In 1996, the Commission published an advance notice 
of proposed rulemaking (``ANPR'') which initiated a rulemaking 
proceeding for the possible amendment of the Commission's crib 
regulations to address the risk of slats disengaging from cribs sides. 
61 FR 65997 (Dec. 16, 1996). After publication of the ANPR, the 
Commission staff worked with the voluntary standards group, ASTM 
International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and 
Materials), which added provisions in its standard for full-size baby 
cribs, ASTM F 1169, to address this hazard.
    The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (``CPSIA'', 
Pub. L. 110-314) was enacted on August 14, 2008. Section 104(b) of the 
CPSIA requires the Commission to promulgate consumer product safety 
standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are 
to be ``substantially the same as'' applicable voluntary standards or 
more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes 
that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of 
injury associated with the product. Elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register, the Commission is issuing a proposed rule that would 
establish safety standards for full-size and non-full-size cribs that 
are substantially the same as voluntary standards ASTM F 1169-10, 
Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Full-Size Baby Cribs, and 
ASTM F 406-10, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size 
Baby Cribs. The Commission proposes to incorporate these ASTM standards 
by reference with certain modifications to strengthen them. The 
proposed standards, as modified, would include provisions in both the 
full-size and non-full-size crib standards that address the risk of 
crib slat disengagement the Commission identified in the ANPR.

B. Withdrawal of the ANPR

    The rulemaking that the Commission is now initiating under section 
104(b) of the CPSIA proposes to establish new requirements for full-
size and non-full size cribs that will include the requirements of the 
Commission's existing regulations codified at 16 CFR parts 1508 and 
1509 and additional requirements in the ASTM voluntary standards. 
Because these new crib standards will include performance tests to 
address the risk of crib slat disengagement, the Commission is 
withdrawing the ANPR published December 16, 1996, 61 FR 65997, and 
terminating that rulemaking.

    Dated: July 14, 2010.
Todd Stevenson,
Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010-17590 Filed 7-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P