Center for Justice & Democracy




Advocacy Group Tours With Tots for Product Safety Bill
Congressional Quarterly Today
May 23, 2008

Lawmakers got tiny knocks on their doors this week, when children visited Capitol Hill to lobby for action on a toy safety bill that advocates want to see enacted in time for the production of 2008 holiday gifts.

The campaign was organized by the Center for Justice and Democracy, a nonpartisan consumer group that says it promotes the integrity of the civil justice system.

The advocates are urging swift enactment of a bill that would revamp the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ban lead in children's products and raise penalties for selling defective products. Massive recalls last year of lead-tainted toys made in China spurred lawmakers into action.

The House version of the bill (HR 4040) would create a new category of "children's products" that must be virtually lead-free within 180 days of enactment. The Senate version would only cover products aimed at children 7 and younger.

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