[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28403-28408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08997]



[[Page 28403]]

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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 1261

[Docket No. CPSC-2023-0015]


Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: In November 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 
published a consumer product safety standard for clothing storage units 
(CSUs) to protect children from tip-over-related death or injury, with 
an effective date of May 24, 2023. In December 2022, the President 
signed into law the STURDY legislation, which requires CPSC to either 
develop and promulgate a new consumer product safety standard for CSUs 
that meets certain requirements specified in STURDY or determine that a 
voluntary standard exists that meets STURDY's requirements. If the 
Commission determines that a timely issued voluntary standard satisfies 
STURDY's criteria, then STURDY requires the Commission to promulgate a 
final consumer product safety standard that adopts the applicable 
performance requirements of the voluntary standard, to supersede any 
existing CSU rule. On April 19, 2023, the Commission determined that 
ASTM F2057-23, Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage 
Units, is a voluntary standard that meets the requirements of STURDY. 
In light of that determination, this direct final rule adopts the 
requirements of ASTM F2057-23 as required by STURDY. Because STURDY 
provides that adoption of the ASTM standard will supersede CPSC's 
current rule, the current CSU rule, which was added in a final rule 
published on November 25, 2022, is stayed and will not take effect.

DATES: 
    Effective date: The rule is effective September 1, 2023, unless the 
Commission receives a significant adverse comment by June 5, 2023. If 
the Commission receives such a comment, it will publish a document in 
the Federal Register, withdrawing this direct final rule before its 
effective date.
    Incorporation by reference: The incorporation by reference of the 
publication listed in this rule is approved by the Director of the 
Federal Register as of September 1, 2023.
    Stay and delay of effective date: The CSU rule promulgated as 16 
CFR part 1261 in the final rule published at 87 FR 72598 on November 
25, 2022, is stayed from May 4, 2023, through September 1, 2023, and 
the effective date of amendatory instruction 3 (adding 16 CFR part 
1261) at 87 FR 72598 is delayed from May 24, 2023, to September 1, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: You can submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2023-
0015, by any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. CPSC typically does not accept 
comments submitted by electronic mail (email), except as described 
below. CPSC encourages you to submit electronic comments by using the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/Confidential Written Submissions: Submit 
comments by mail, hand delivery, or courier to: Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone: (301) 504-7479. If you wish to submit 
confidential business information, trade secret information, or other 
sensitive or protected information that you do not want to be available 
to the public, you may submit such comments by mail, hand delivery, or 
courier, or you may email them to: [email protected].
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. CPSC may post all comments without change, including any 
personal identifiers, contact information, or other personal 
information provided, to: https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit 
through this website: confidential business information, trade secret 
information, or other sensitive or protected information that you do 
not want to be available to the public. If you wish to submit such 
information, please submit it according to the instructions for mail/
hand delivery/courier/confidential written submissions.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to: https://www.regulations.gov, and insert the 
docket number, CPSC-2023-0015, into the ``Search'' box, and follow the 
prompts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Will Cusey, Small Business Ombudsman, 
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504-7945 or (888) 531-9070; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Statutory Authority

    On November 25, 2022, the Commission published a consumer product 
safety standard to protect children from tip-over-related death or 
injury from CSUs (the current CSU rule), with an effective date of May 
24, 2023. 87 FR 72598.
    On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed STURDY into law. 
Public Law 117-328, 136 Stat. 4459, Div. BB, tit. II, sec. 201. STURDY 
provides that the Commission must assess whether ``a voluntary standard 
exists that meets'' the performance and warning requirements in the 
statute. STURDY sec. 201(d)(1). Specifically, the standard must protect 
children from tip-over-related death or injury with ``tests that 
simulate the weight of children up to 60 pounds,'' ``tests that 
simulate real-world use and account for impacts on clothing storage 
unit stability that may result from placement on carpeted surfaces, 
drawers with items in them, multiple open drawers, and dynamic force,'' 
``testing of all clothing storage units, including those 27 inches and 
above in height,'' and warnings. STURDY sec. 201(c)(2).
    If the Commission determines that a voluntary standard exists that 
was published not later than 60 days after STURDY's enactment, was 
developed by ASTM International or another similar voluntary standards 
organization, and meets STURDY's requirements for protecting children 
from tip-over-related death or injury, then the Commission must, within 
90 days of its determination, ``promulgate a final consumer product 
safety standard'' that adopts the voluntary standard's relevant 
performance requirements. STURDY sec. 201(d). Those mandatory 
requirements ``will supersede any other existing standard for clothing 
storage units to protect children from tip-over related death or 
injury.'' STURDY sec. 201(d)(1).
    If, however, no mandatory safety standard has been established for 
CSUs based on a voluntary standard, then by December 29, 2023, the 
Commission must ``promulgate a final consumer product safety standard 
for clothing storage units to protect children from tip-over-related 
death or injury.'' STURDY secs. 201(c)(1) and (c)(1)(B).
    A consumer product safety standard promulgated under STURDY ``shall 
be treated as a consumer product safety rule promulgated under section 
9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2058).'' STURDY secs. 
201(c)(4), (d)(1).\1\
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    \1\ On April 19, 2023, the Commission voted (3-1) to publish 
this direct final rule: https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Meeting-Minutes-Implementation-of-STURDY-201d-Determination-Regarding-ASTM-F2057-23-and-Draft-Direct-Final-Rule.pdf?VersionId=rY0PyWa3BlDDKuarLMDyaZrvms9DKi9X. The Chair and 
Commissioners issued the following statements: https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Chairman/Alexander-Hoehn-Saric/Statement/Statement-of-Chair-Alexander-Hoehn-Saric-on-the-Commission%E2%80%99s-Favorable-Determination-on-ASTM-F2057-23-and-Adoption-of-a-Final-Clothing-Storage-Unit-Stability-Rule-Under-STURDY; https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Commissioner/Peter-A-Feldman/Statement/Statement-of-Commissioner-Peter-A-Feldman-on-Sturdy-Act-Determination; https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Commissioner/Richard-Trumka/Statement/CPSC-Makes-Grave-Error-Increasing-Children%E2%80%99s-Risk-Of-Death-From-Furniture-Tip-Over-And-Creating-Legal-Peril-For-Agency; and https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Commissioner/Mary-T-Boyle/Statement/Commissioner-Mary-T-Boyle-Statement-on-Mandatory-Safety-Standards-for-Clothing-Storage-Units.

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II. Analysis of ASTM F2057-23

    On February 1, 2023, ASTM International approved a revised version 
of its Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Units, ASTM 
F2057-23.

A. Consultation With Stakeholders

    Over more than five years, CPSC staff has collaborated extensively 
and received comments from manufacturers and retailers of CSUs, 
consumer groups, independent product safety experts, and other 
stakeholders, both within the ASTM standards-setting process and during 
CPSC's notice-and-comment rulemaking. This consultation continued 
through the development and balloting of ASTM F2057-23 and after the 
adoption of STURDY, including a broadly attended set of meetings hosted 
at CPSC's laboratory in January 2023.
    Following ASTM's adoption of ASTM F2057-23, the Commission received 
recommendations that it determine that ASTM F2057-23 meets the 
requirements of STURDY. On February 7, 2023, Parents Against Tip-overs 
(PAT) and the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) jointly sent a 
letter to the Commission, in which they made a ``request for prompt 
agency action to review and consider F2057-23 as a mandatory product 
safety standard for clothing storage furniture.'' Attachment A to the 
Staff Briefing Package.\2\ PAT and AHFA asserted that the updated 
standard ``meets the specific requirements of the Act'' because:
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    \2\ The Staff Briefing Package is available at https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/ImplementationofSTURDY_201dDeterminationRegardingASTMF2057_23andDraftDirectFinalRule.pdf?VersionId=sg.kGfSKseJHE9WZ5Clnla_JYKcSeH5Y.
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     It includes performance tests that simulate ``real-world'' 
use of clothing storage furniture;
     It includes performance tests that account for the impact 
of carpeted flooring on CSU stability, as well as the impact of 
``loaded'' drawers, multiple open drawers, and the dynamic force of a 
child climbing or playing on the unit; and,
     The performance tests simulate the weight of children up 
to 60 pounds and apply to all clothing storage units 27 inches and 
above in height.
    PAT and AHFA also cited both STURDY and ASTM F2057-23 as ``the 
result of an extraordinary collaborative effort between parents, 
industry, consumer advocates and child safety experts,'' that 
``achieved rare bipartisan backing in Congress.''
    On February 20, 2023, PAT submitted a second letter to urge 
``acceptance of ASTM F2057-23 as the final consumer product safety 
standard for CSUs, according to the guidance provided under The STURDY 
Act.'' Attachment B to the Staff Briefing Package. PAT stated in that 
letter that ``[t]he tip-over problem has gone unresolved for far too 
long, and adopting the new ASTM standard is the solution that will 
result in much more stable CSUs'' than have historically been sold, and 
thereby ``save lives.'' In addition, PAT reiterated its assertion that 
ASTM F2057-23 was designed to and does meet the requirements of STURDY.
    On March 3, 2023, Donald Mays, an independent product safety 
expert, sent the Commission an assessment of the ASTM standard. Mr. 
Mays stated that he analyzed the ASTM standard and the requirements of 
STURDY and concluded that the Commission should ``adopt ASTM F2057-23 
and incorporate that standard by reference in their rule.'' Attachment 
C to the Staff Briefing Package. On March 6, 2023, Kids in Danger and 
Consumer Reports jointly sent a letter to the Commission in which they 
similarly ``urge[d] the Commission to promulgate a final consumer 
product safety standard under the STURDY Act . . . that adopts [ASTM 
F2057-23's] performance requirements as mandatory.'' Attachment D to 
the Staff Briefing Package. Also on March 6, 2023, the Home Furnishings 
Association (HFA), which stated that it represents 1,550 members and 
more than 8,000 storefronts across the country, wrote to the Commission 
urging adoption of ASTM F2057-23. HFA stated, ``We strongly believe 
that the revised ASTM 2057-2023 safety standard for clothing storage 
units meets the criteria outlined in the STURDY Act and must be adopted 
by the CPSC as the federal Safety Standard. It achieves everyone's 
goals of protecting children.'' Attachment E to the Staff Briefing 
Package.

B. Staff Assessment of the Voluntary Standard

    Staff assessed the voluntary standard in a Staff Briefing Package. 
Staff noted that STURDY defines a clothing storage unit as ``any free-
standing furniture item manufactured in the United States or imported 
for use in the United States that is intended for the storage of 
clothing, typical of bedroom furniture.'' STURDY sec. 201(a). STURDY 
also provides, however, that CPSC ``shall specify the types of 
furniture items within the scope of subsection (a) as part of a 
standard promulgated under [STURDY] based on tip-over data as 
reasonably necessary to protect children up to 72 months of age.'' 
STURDY sec. 201(b). For a standard to satisfy the requirements of 
STURDY, all types of clothing storage units specified by CPSC, 
``including those 27 inches and above in height,'' must be tested. 
STURDY sec. 201(c)(2)(C).
    ASTM F2057-23 applies to ``free-standing clothing storage units, 
including but not limited to chests, chests of drawers, drawer chests, 
armoires, [chifforobes], bureaus, door chests, and dressers, which are 
27 in. (686 mm) or greater in height, 30 lb (13.6 kg) or greater in 
mass, and contain 3.2 ft \3\ (90.6 dm\3\) or greater of enclosed 
storage volume.'' ASTM F2057-23 sec. 1.1. The standard ``does not cover 
shelving units, such as bookcases or entertainment furniture, office 
furniture, dining room furniture, jewelry armoires, underbed drawer 
storage units, occasional/accent furniture not intended for bedroom 
use, laundry storage/sorting units, or built-in units intended to be 
permanently attached to the building, nor does it cover `Clothing 
Storage Chests' as defined in Consumer Safety Specification F2598.'' 
ASTM F2057-23 sec. 1.2.
    Although the ASTM voluntary standard does not include all CSUs as 
defined in section 201(a) of STURDY, staff noted that STURDY 
contemplates that not all ``clothing storage units'' would be subject 
to a mandatory standard and gives CPSC the authority to limit ``the 
types of furniture items'' that are within the scope of the rule based 
on tip-over data. STURDY sec. 201(b). Indeed, STURDY specifies that 
covered CSUs are limited to those ``intended for the storage of 
clothing, typical of bedroom furniture,'' which staff noted could 
further support a finding that the ASTM standard's exclusion of types 
of furniture that are not free-standing, not intended for clothing 
storage, and/or not bedroom

[[Page 28405]]

furniture meets the requirements of STURDY. STURDY sec. 201(a).
    The ASTM standard excludes units weighing less than 30 pounds 
empty. The Commission has previously noted an absence of known 
incidents causing death or serious injury for CSUs that weigh less than 
30 pounds empty (see 87 FR 72628, Table 1). Therefore, staff assessed 
that based on known tip-over data, the Commission could find that 
testing units of less than 30 pounds is not ``reasonably necessary'' to 
protect children from injury or death. STURDY sec. 201(b).
    Similarly, staff noted that while there are data on nonfatal 
incidents associated with tip-overs of CSU having a storage volume less 
than 3.2 cubic feet, ASTM based this volume on the lowest known volume 
of a fatal incident-involved CSU with a height of 27 inches or above. 
Staff therefore concluded that the Commission could find that, based on 
tip-over data, testing units having a storage volume less than 3.2 
cubic feet is not ``reasonably necessary'' to protect children from 
injury or death. STURDY sec. 201(b).
    STURDY section 201(d)(2) establishes a checklist of requirements 
that a voluntary standard must meet to become a mandatory standard. The 
first requirement is that the standard ``protects children up to 72 
months of age from tip-over-related death or injury.'' STURDY sec. 
201(d)(2)(A). Section 7.1 of the ASTM standard states: ``The test 
methods in this safety specification are intended to simulate the 
reaction of a clothing storage unit on carpet, loaded drawers, multiple 
open drawers, and a dynamic force from possible interaction of a child 
up to 72 months.'' Staff therefore assessed that the Commission could 
conclude that the standard ``protects children up to 72 months of age 
from tip-over-related death or injury,'' as further described below.
    Section 201(d)(2)(B) of STURDY requires that a voluntary standard 
must meet requirements described in subsection (c)(2). Subsection 
(c)(2) in turn requires:
     Tests that simulate the weight of children up to 60 
pounds;
     Objective, repeatable, reproducible, and measurable tests, 
or series of tests, that simulate real-world use and account for 
impacts on clothing storage unit stability that may result from 
placement on carpeted surfaces, drawers with items in them, multiple 
open drawers, and dynamic force;
     Testing of all clothing storage units as specified by the 
Commission, including those 27 inches and above in height; and
     Warning requirements based on ASTM F2057-19, or its 
successor at the time of STURDY's enactment, provided that the 
Commission may strengthen the warning requirements of ASTM F2057-19 or 
its successor if reasonably necessary to protect children from tip-
over-related death or injury.
    Staff assessed that the Commission could find that the ASTM 
standard includes tests that simulate the weight of children up to 60 
pounds. Staff noted that STURDY appears to use 72 months and 60 pounds 
interchangeably; this, and the structure of STURDY, suggest that 
Congress considered 60 pounds a representative weight for a 72-month-
old child. According to the 2000 Centers for Disease Control Clinical 
Growth Charts, which ASTM members used as a reference for ASTM F2057-
23, 60 pounds is the approximate weight of a 95th percentile 72-month-
old child.
    STURDY requires tests that simulate the weight of children up to 60 
pounds, and ASTM F2057-23 has a set of three stability tests to 
simulate the capability of a child weighing up to 60 pounds interacting 
with a CSU. The first stability test, Section 9.2.1 Simulated Clothing 
Load, loads drawers with simulated clothing loads. The CSU must not tip 
over with all doors and extendible elements (movable load-bearing 
storage components including, but not limited to, drawers and pullout 
shelves) open. Staff assessed that it would be reasonable to conclude 
that a child weighing up to 60 pounds would be able to open loaded 
drawers and that the Commission could conclude that this is a test that 
simulates the weight of children up to 60 pounds.
    The second stability test, Section 9.2.2 Simulated Horizontal 
Dynamic Force, applies a 10-pound horizontal force over a period of at 
least 5 seconds at a ``hand-hold'' not to exceed a 56-inch height, and 
then holds the force for at least 10 seconds. The Staff Briefing 
Package cites a study that found the elbow pull strength of children 2 
to 5 years old to be in the range of 6.14 to 26.0 pounds. Staff 
assessed that the Commission could conclude that this second stability 
test simulates the pull force of children up to 60 pounds.
    The third stability test, Section 9.2.3 Simulating a Reaction on 
Carpet with Child Weight, uses 60 pounds of weight placed on the edge 
of an open drawer or pull-out shelf, while the CSU is tilted forward 
using a 0.43 inch test block to simulate placement on a carpeted 
surface, with all doors and extendible elements open. Based on the 
requirements of STURDY, staff assessed that the Commission could 
conclude that this is a test that simulates the static weight of 
children up to 60 pounds.
    STURDY also requires ``objective, repeatable, reproducible, and 
measurable tests or series of tests that simulate real-world use and 
account for impacts on clothing storage unit stability that may result 
from placement on carpeted surfaces, drawers with items in them, 
multiple open drawers, and dynamic force.'' STURDY sec. 201(c)(2)(B). 
Staff noted that the ASTM F2057-23 test methods describe the steps to 
take, specifications for test apparatus, load, dimension, and 
tolerances for dimensions and loads, all of which are consistent with 
accepted practices. Because all of these test methods are specified in 
the ASTM standard, staff assessed that the Commission could conclude 
that the tests in ASTM F2057-23 are objective, repeatable, 
reproducible, and measurable.
    Staff assessed that the ASTM stability tests utilize tests or a 
series of tests that represent real-world conditions. For example, 
section 9.2.1 Simulated Clothing Load tests the CSU with multiple open 
and loaded drawers on a flat surface. Section 9.2.3 of ASTM 2057-23, 
described above, is a stability test that simulates placement on a 
carpeted surface with open drawers. The use of a 0.43-inch thick test 
block (as specified in section 8.2.3) is consistent with the carpet 
simulation in CPSC's final CSU rule. See 87 FR 72636. Staff assessed 
that the Commission could, therefore, conclude that ASTM F2057-23 
includes a stability test that simulates interaction with a CSU on a 
carpeted surface, which is a real-world condition.
    Section 9.2.1 of the ASTM standard, Simulated Clothing Load, is a 
test conducted on a hard, level, and flat test surface with extendible 
elements and doors open and, if 50 percent or more of the storage 
volume is extended, the unit is to be filled with a ``simulated 
clothing load.'' The fill weight in extendible elements is calculated 
using a density of 8.5 pounds per cubic foot of volume, which is the 
same density used by the Commission in its November 2022 rule. See 87 
FR 72610-11. All extendible elements are opened and must remain open 
for 30 seconds without tip over. Based on this test, staff assessed 
that the Commission could conclude that ASTM F2057-23 includes a test 
that simulates drawers with items in them and multiple open drawers, 
which is another scenario reflecting real-world use.
    STURDY section 201(c)(2)(D) requires warnings based on ASTM F2057-
19 (the predecessor standard to ASTM F2057-

[[Page 28406]]

23). Many of the warning requirements in section 10 of ASTM F2057-23, 
Marking and Labeling, are substantively identical to those in the 2019 
version. Product safety expert Donald Mays has opined that the ASTM 
F2057-23 warning requirements differ from the F2057-19 requirements by 
being ``more specific,'' adding requirements for conspicuous placement, 
and warning against defeating drawer interlocks. Mays Letter at 4. 
Therefore, staff assessed that the Commission could conclude that ASTM 
F2057-23 meets the warning requirements of STURDY.
    Lastly, under STURDY section 201(d)(2)(C) and (D), a voluntary 
standard must be ``developed by ASTM International'' or another 
voluntary standards organization that the Commission deems appropriate, 
and such standard must be published not later than 60 days after 
STURDY's enactment, i.e., by February 27, 2023. STURDY sec. 
201(d)(2)(C) and (D). ASTM F2057-23, which ASTM International published 
on February 6, 2023, satisfies these requirements.

C. Commission Determination

    Based on the Commission's assessment of ASTM F2057-23 and for the 
reasons stated in the Staff Briefing Package, on April 19, 2023, the 
Commission determined that ASTM F2057-23 meets the requirements of 
STURDY. Therefore, as required by STURDY, this direct final rule adopts 
the requirements of that voluntary standard as a consumer product 
safety standard. Because STURDY provides that adoption of the voluntary 
standard ``will supersede any other existing standard for clothing 
storage units,'' the current CSU rule would only be in effect for about 
two months before being superseded by this new standard. Therefore, the 
Commission finds good cause to stay the current CSU rule from May 4, 
2023, through September 1, 2023, so that it will not take effect.
    The Commission's determination to adopt ASTM F2057-23 is based on 
the specific provisions of that standard and the unique history of its 
adoption in conjunction with the STURDY legislation. The Commission 
does not anticipate approving through the standard-revision process of 
STURDY section 201(e) any changes to ASTM F2057-23 that would reduce 
the level of protection for children up to 72 months of age from tip-
over-related death or injury. After December 2027, moreover, STURDY 
allows the Commission ``to modify the requirements of [an adopted 
voluntary] standard or to include additional provisions if the 
Commission makes a determination that such modifications or additions 
are reasonably necessary to protect children from tip-over-related 
death or injury.'' STURDY sec. 201(f)(1).

III. Incorporation by Reference

    In accordance with regulations of the Office of the Federal 
Register (OFR), 1 CFR part 51, section II. of this preamble summarizes 
ASTM F2057-23. The standard is reasonably available to interested 
parties in several ways. Until the direct final rule takes effect, a 
read-only copy is available for viewing on ASTM's website at: https://www.astm.org/CPSC.htm. Once the rule takes effect, a read-only copy of 
the standard will be available for viewing on the ASTM website at: 
https://www.astm.org/READINGLIBRARY. Additionally, interested parties 
can purchase a copy of ASTM F2057-23 from ASTM International, 100 Barr 
Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959 USA; 
phone: 610-832-9585; www.astm.org. Interested parties also can schedule 
an appointment to inspect a copy of the standard at CPSC's Office of 
the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West 
Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone: 301-504-7479; email: [email protected].

IV. Testing and Certification

    Section 14(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) includes 
requirements for certifying that children's products and non-children's 
products comply with applicable mandatory standards. 15 U.S.C. 2063(a). 
Section 14(a)(1) addresses required certifications for non-children's 
products, and sections 14(a)(2) and (a)(3) address certification 
requirements specific to children's products.
    A ``children's product'' is a consumer product ``designed or 
intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.'' Id. 
2052(a)(2). The following factors are relevant when determining whether 
a product is a children's product:
     Manufacturer statements about the intended use of the 
product, including a label on the product if such statement is 
reasonable;
     Whether the product is represented in its packaging, 
display, promotion, or advertising as appropriate for use by children 
12 years of age or younger;
     Whether the product is commonly recognized by consumers as 
being intended for use by a child 12 years of age or younger; and
     The Age Determination Guidelines issued by CPSC staff in 
September 2002, available at https://www.cpsc.gov/content/2002-Age-Determination-Guidelines, and any successor to such guidelines.
    Id. ``For use by children 12 years and younger'' generally means 
that children will interact physically with the product based on 
reasonably foreseeable use. 16 CFR 1200.2(a)(2). Children's products 
may be decorated or embellished with a children's theme, be sized for 
children, or be marketed to appeal primarily to children. Id. Sec.  
1200.2(d)(1).
    This rule requires CSUs that are not children's products to meet 
the certification requirements under section 14(a)(1) of the CPSA and 
requires CSUs that are children's products to meet the certification 
requirements under section 14(a)(2) and (a)(3) of the CPSA. The 
Commission's requirements for certificates of compliance are codified 
at 16 CFR part 1110. Section 14(a)(1) of the CPSA requires every 
manufacturer (which includes importers) of a non-children's product 
that is subject to a consumer product safety rule under the CPSA or a 
similar rule, ban, standard, or regulation under any other law enforced 
by the Commission to certify that the product complies with all 
applicable CPSC-enforced requirements. 15 U.S.C. 2063(a)(1). Section 
14(a)(2) of the CPSA requires the manufacturer or private labeler of a 
children's product that is subject to a children's product safety rule 
to certify that, based on a third-party conformity assessment body's 
testing, the product complies with the applicable children's product 
safety rule. Id. 2063(a)(2). Section 14(a) also requires the Commission 
to publish a notice of requirements (NOR) for a third-party conformity 
assessment body (i.e., testing laboratory) to obtain accreditation to 
assess conformity with a children's product safety rule. Id. 
2063(a)(3)(A). Because some CSUs are children's products, the rule is a 
children's product safety rule as applied to those products.
    The Commission published a final rule, codified at 16 CFR part 
1112, Requirements Pertaining to Third Party Conformity Assessment 
Bodies, which established requirements and criteria concerning testing 
laboratories. Part 1112 includes procedures for CPSC to accept a 
testing laboratory's accreditation and lists the children's product 
safety rules for which CPSC has published NORs. The stability standard 
for CSUs is on the list of children's product safety rules for which 
CPSC has issued an NOR. 87 FR 72598 (Nov. 25, 2022); 16 CFR 
1112.15(b)(54). Testing laboratories that apply for CPSC acceptance to 
test CSUs that are children's products for compliance with the rule 
must meet the requirements in

[[Page 28407]]

part 1112. When a laboratory meets the requirements of a CPSC-accepted 
third party conformity assessment body, the laboratory can apply to 
CPSC to include 16 CFR part 1261, Safety Standard for Clothing Storage 
Units, in the laboratory's scope of accreditation listed on the CPSC 
website at www.cpsc.gov/labsearch.
    The requirements of ASTM F2057-23 are sufficiently similar to the 
current CSU rule that firms approved to test to the current rule can 
also test to ASTM F2057-23. Therefore, the existing NOR will remain in 
place. CPSC-accepted third party labs are expected to update the scope 
of their accreditations to reflect the revised standard in the normal 
course of renewing their accreditations.

V. Direct Final Rule Process

    The Commission is issuing this rule as a direct final rule. 
Although the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 551-559, 
generally requires agencies to provide notice of a rule and an 
opportunity for interested parties to comment on it, section 553 of the 
APA provides an exception when the agency ``for good cause finds'' that 
notice and comment are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the 
public interest.'' Id. 553(b)(B).
    The purpose of this direct final rule is to adopt the applicable 
performance requirements of ASTM F2057-23. STURDY requires that once 
the Commission has determined that ASTM F2057-23 ``exists'' and ``meets 
the requirements'' of STURDY section 201(d)(2), it must adopt the 
applicable performance requirements of ASTM F2037-23, which ``shall be 
treated as a consumer product safety rule promulgated under section 9 
of the Consumer Product Safety Act.'' STURDY sec. 201(d)(1). Because 
the Commission made this determination on April 19, 2023, the adoption 
of ASTM F2057-23 as a mandatory standard is required by law, and public 
comments would not lead to substantive changes to the standard or to 
the effect of the standard as a consumer product safety rule. Under 
these circumstances, notice and comment are unnecessary.
    In Recommendation 95-4, the Administrative Conference of the United 
States (ACUS) endorses direct final rulemaking as an appropriate 
procedure to expedite rules that are noncontroversial and that are not 
expected to generate significant adverse comments. See 60 FR 43108 
(Aug. 18, 1995). ACUS recommends that agencies use the direct final 
rule process when they act under the ``unnecessary'' prong of the good 
cause exemption in 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). Consistent with the ACUS 
recommendation, the Commission is publishing this rule as a direct 
final rule, because CPSC does not expect any significant adverse 
comments.
    If the Commission receives a significant adverse comment, the 
Commission will withdraw this direct final rule. In accordance with 
ACUS's recommendation, the Commission considers a significant adverse 
comment to be ``one where the commenter explains why the rule would be 
inappropriate,'' including an assertion undermining ``the rule's 
underlying premise or approach,'' or a showing that the rule ``would be 
ineffective or unacceptable without change.'' 60 FR 43108, 43111. 
Depending on the comment and other circumstances, the Commission may 
then incorporate the adverse comment into a subsequent direct final 
rule or publish a notice of proposed rulemaking, providing an 
opportunity for public comment.

VI. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA; 5 U.S.C. 601-612) generally 
requires agencies to review proposed and final rules for their 
potential economic impact on small entities, including small 
businesses, and prepare regulatory flexibility analyses. 5 U.S.C. 603, 
604. The RFA applies to any rule that is subject to notice and comment 
procedures under section 553 of the APA. Id. As discussed in this 
preamble, the Commission has determined that notice and the opportunity 
to comment are unnecessary for this rule. Therefore, the RFA does not 
apply.

VII. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The current CSU rule includes requirements for marking, labeling, 
and instructional literature that constitute a ``collection of 
information,'' as defined in the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA; 44 
U.S.C. 3501-3521). This revised mandatory standard contains similar 
warning and labeling requirements compared to the current rule, but 
does not require a hang tag. Therefore, this rule does not increase the 
burden of these requirements. The Commission took the steps required by 
the PRA for information collections when it adopted 16 CFR part 1261, 
including obtaining approval and a control number. Because the warning 
and labeling burden is similar and there is no increase in the 
information collection burden but only a reduction, the revision does 
not affect the information collection requirements or approval related 
to the standard.

VIII. Environmental Considerations

    The Commission's regulations provide for a categorical exclusion 
from any requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or an 
environmental impact statement where they ``have little or no potential 
for affecting the human environment.'' 16 CFR 1021.5(c)(2). This rule 
falls within the categorical exclusion, so no environmental assessment 
or environmental impact statement is required.

IX. Preemption

    Section 26(a) of the CPSA provides that where a consumer product 
safety standard is in effect and applies to a product, no state or 
political subdivision of a state may either establish or continue in 
effect a requirement dealing with the same risk of injury unless the 
state requirement is identical to the Federal standard. 15 U.S.C. 
2075(a). Section 26(c) of the CPSA also provides that states or 
political subdivisions of states may apply to CPSC for an exemption 
from this preemption under certain circumstances. STURDY deems a rule 
issued under that Act to be a ``consumer product safety standard.'' 
Therefore, once this takes effect, it will preempt in accordance with 
section 26(a) of the CPSA.

X. Effective Date

    Under STURDY, this rule ``shall take effect 120 days after the date 
of the promulgation of the rule, or such a later date as the Commission 
determines appropriate.'' Manufacturers of CSUs have been aware of new 
stability requirements since the current CSU rule was published in 
November 2022, and the instant rule is based on a voluntary standard 
published in February 2023. The Commission accordingly will make this 
rule effective 120 days after promulgation. Unless the Commission 
receives a significant adverse comment within 30 days of this direct 
final rule's publication, the rule will become effective on September 
1, 2023. As a consumer product safety standard under the CPSA, this 
rule applies to CSUs manufactured after the effective date. 15 U.S.C. 
2058(g)(1).

XI. Congressional Review Act

    The Congressional Review Act (CRA; 5 U.S.C. 801-808) states that 
before a rule may take effect, the agency issuing the rule must submit 
the rule, and certain related information, to each House of Congress 
and the Comptroller General. 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1). The CRA submission 
must indicate whether the rule is a ``major rule.'' The CRA states

[[Page 28408]]

that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) determines 
whether a rule qualifies as a ``major rule.''
    Pursuant to the CRA, OIRA has determined that this rule is a 
``major rule'' as defined in 5 U.S.C. 804(2). To comply with the CRA, 
CPSC will submit the required information to each House of Congress and 
the Comptroller General.

List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 1261

    Consumer protection, Imports, Incorporation by reference, 
Information, Labeling, Safety.


0
The Commission revises 16 CFR part 1261 to read as follows:

PART 1261--SAFETY STANDARD FOR CLOTHING STORAGE UNITS

Sec.
1261.1 Scope and purpose.
1261.2 Requirements for clothing storage units.

    Authority:  15 U.S.C. 2058; Div. BB, tit. II, sec. 201, Pub. L. 
117-328, 136 Stat. 4459.


Sec.  1261.1  Scope and purpose.

    (a) Scope and purpose. This part, a consumer product safety 
standard, prescribes safety requirements for clothing storage units, as 
defined in paragraph (b) of this section. The requirements in this part 
are intended to protect children up to 72 months of age from tip-over-
related death or injury.
    (b) Application. Clothing storage unit means any free-standing 
furniture item manufactured in the United States or imported for use in 
the United States that is intended for the storage of clothing, typical 
of bedroom furniture. All clothing storage units that are manufactured 
after September 1, 2023, are subject to the requirements of this part.


Sec.  1261.2  Requirements for clothing storage units.

    Each clothing storage unit that is subject to ASTM F2057-23, 
Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Units, approved on 
February 1, 2023, shall comply with ASTM F2057-23. ASTM F2057-23 is 
incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the 
Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552 and 1 CFR part 51. 
This material is available for inspection at the U.S. Consumer Product 
Safety Commission and at the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA). Contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety 
Commission at the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, telephone (301) 
504-7479, email: [email protected]. For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, email [email protected], or go to 
www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. A free, read-
only copy of the standard is available for viewing on the ASTM website 
at https://www.astm.org/READINGLIBRARY/. You may also obtain a copy 
from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West 
Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959; phone: (610) 832-9585; www.astm.org.

Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2023-08997 Filed 5-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P