Will CPSIA affect anyone on this board?

[Denvergirlie]

[ame="http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113400"]Will CPSIA affect anyone on this board? - Frugal Village Forums[/ame]

Above is a thread on just this that is going on in the "frugal" forum, as to why it's in Frugal forum I have no idea but do know it's been discussed over there as well.

[brook]

my comment FWIW...

Let the textile manufactures show proof of compliance with this law. The cost to the end user to do the testing is not only astronomical but time consuming. Why age 12? why not age 18? This Law just doesn't make sense and certainly doesn't have the best interest of the small business in mind let along the seamstress that does one or two articles of the same garment. It is apparent there was no real thought that went into this by those that drafted this law.

[LuvMyHubby]

I don't know but color me silly but are there not more prominent sources of lead that are more apt to be ingested by children that the government should be trying to rectify?

What about lead paint in old apartment buildings with private landlords in low rent neighborhoods? Well water which is not required to be tested annually and reported on? Instead of worrying about banning used clothing which some people heavily rely on to keep their children in clothes, pehaps they should be trying to reach people with incentives to test well water regularly and for landlords to have a reason for fresh paint and clean up of old lead paint scrapings.

I am sure that there is more lead in more sources, including those vending machine rings that leave a mark on fingers etc. but come on with it seems a child is at greater risk of ingesting lead than having it absorbed through their body in a 1 in whatever percent chance that they are wearing a used article of clothing.

[Marie78]

I'm so mad at how this country is run...I'm mad and fed up Cigarettes haven't been banned for sale, but used children's clothes have been. Small amounts of toxins found in baby formula are okay, but not the clothes the baby wears It's okay that everything we use and buy has been made in China and other countries, even if that means ess jobs in the U.S. and unemployment rates sky high...and now children can wear rags, because those unemployed parents won't be able to afford brand new clothing for their children. Middle class families are suffering because of our economy and now any used clothing of any kind has been banned. What is this country coming to??

We are having our first baby in July and we won't know if it's a boy or a girl until March. That's too late to buy gender specific "dangerous" baby clothes. I wish the American people had a voice...the voices of the masses are drowned out by the voices of big business. I worry about the future my children will have to endure. I wish our government wasn't run by such dumb @$$

[LastDragonfly]

Amen and Amen

[imagine]

Here is an interesting quote

Question"The law requires manufacturers to start labeling product and packaging one year after enactment. Does that mean it would affect products manufactured for the 2010 retail season or that items in retail stores would already have to have tracking labels as of August 2009?"

Answer " The law requires that one year after enactment, or August 14, 2009, manufacturers of children’s products must place permanent marks on their product providing the information specified. Thus, the Commission staff believes that the tracking label requirement applies to children’s products manufactured on or after August 14, 2009."

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/103faq.html#retail

[guest002]

Well, I emailed all of my senators and representatives (from my home state and the state where I live, LOL).

I'm writing to you today in regards to a law that will go into effect on February 10, 2009. It's the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. From my understanding, this law will mandate that everything sold for children 12 and younger will have to be tested for lead and phthalates, and anything that isn’t tested (or that fails) will be considered hazardous and cannot be sold. While I agree that this law is great for new products and clothing, I think it will severely hurt the used clothing consumer, thrift & resale shops, and charity organizations like Good Will and the Salvation Army. In today's economy can we really afford to run so many small businesses into closing? Also, with so many families having tight budgets, used clothing is a great way to keep their children clothed. It's also a great way for some families to make a few dollars by selling their kids used items. This is government protection overkill. Please do anything you can to add a "used" clothing wavier to this bill! I also cannot see how our government with the huge budget crisis could even enforce such a law in regards to the used clothing sale. Please, please do something. Regards, Paula ******, concerned parent, military spouse, and your constituent

[Momto2Boyz]

This was sent to me by a friend who owns a children's resale shop. I doubled checked it with the secretary in my local representatives office and it is actually legitimate. She said they have been receiving these e-mails for days, and it is bringing the problem to the rep's attention.

You can sign the petition and send an e-mail to your local congressman on this website for free asking them to repeal the new consumer laws forcing children's resale shops to close or stop selling many of the products that we buy second hand and they sell. You can also spend $3 to send a paper copy, but I don't see much necessity in that if you send the e-mail! So, I just wanted to make it clear that I am not suggesting that anyone give them their money, but if you purchase or have ever purchased items from a children's resale shop, please sign their petition and send the link on to friends to sign!

Thanks everyone!
http://www.rallycongress.com/make-se...lothes-legal-/

[bumplett]

http://kohd.com/page/77663

here's a link to a news story....


I also participate in a few of the local church consignment sales.

"We wanted to let you know about a new law, CPSIA (Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act) that goes into effect on February 10, 2009. The intent of this law is very good; it is intended to guard against elevated lead levels in children's toys. However, it appears that the law was very hastily conceived.



Essentially, this law renders any children's product, that has not been specifically tested for lead, a "Federally Hazardous Substance" and illegal to sell. The law is written to apply "retroactively," which means that after Feb. 10, 2009 the selling of any used children's product that has not been specifically tested for lead will be a crime. This affects our seasonal consignment events, consignment stores, thrift stores, ebay transactions, church yard sales, individual yard sales, even private individual transactions." It also affects all of you creative moms that have turned your handi-craft into a business by making bows, design! ing clothing, painting furniture, hand crafting toys and bibs.... none of these things can lawfully go to market without first absorbing the extreme expense of lead testing.

We are confident that this law, when further explored, will be amended. We are told that an exception clause is being considered for clothing. If it is not amended, all consignment sales will need to shut their doors on Feb 9th or be in violation of the law. We are very hopeful that this exception clause will happen quickly, maybe this week.



I am sending you a link to contact our representatives and voice your concern over this law. In today's economy so many of us depend on resale- ing and buying children's items.

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
Please!! The squeaky wheel gets the grease!! The more of us that is heard the better.

[MRAHoffman]

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_stor...03708&catid=14

[Sassyclass]

Well I signed it but it's not there yet and probably won't be shown. Here's what I said in case it doesn't show up.

" Just one more reason to get rid of Congress. What a bunch of idiots!! Sorry this is not politically correct, but correct and political do not belong in the same sentence."

I'm waiting for someone to knock on my door any second now and haul me off to jail for speaking my mind.

Cat

[bumplett]

I'm sure it will be sorted out before Feb ((I hope))

[HappyMama]

I'm sure it will be sorted out before Feb ((I hope))

It is from the CPSIA Regulations of 2008.
Actually there is much more to this. The law was passed in August 2008, with little or no publicity, the time to object is until January 20, the Law will be in effect on Feb 10, 2009. The children's resale is very important to many many families in need, non profits etc but will also affect many many esty shops, ebay, craigslist, small toy designers, clothing designers, stay at home moms who sew. This law will put many out of business as they can't afford the fees to test their clothing, toys and lines. I have some lines affected and will be doing like many and trying to sell as much as I can before Feb 10. Yes many are hoping things will change, there will be some exclusions but I highly doubt it , I have been in on many meetings for designers lately and in tears over this.

Here is an exert from Fashion Incubator:

Posted by Kathleen Fasanella on Nov 21, 2008 at 3:16 pm / CPSIA, News and Events / Trackback

National Bankruptcy Day

From Fashion Incubator Froum

n the Wall Street Journal, Rick Woldenberg was quoted as describing February 10, 2009 as National Bankruptcy Day because that’s the day when many of us will go out of business due to the implementation of the CPSIA Regulations. I’m dismayed at how little it’s been discussed online and in the news. I’m shocked that so few manufacturers know about it. Of the ones that do know, most think it either doesn’t apply to them or it will magically disappear or it won’t be enforced so they can ignore it. Come February 10th, a lot of people will be hit hard by reality when their products are returned or their financing is declined.

To recap, this law was passed (424 votes to 1) to protect children from unsafe toys after last year’s widely publicized recalls (by the way, recalls have actually decreased by 46%). What few consumers realize is this legislation affects more than toys. What few clothing manufacturers realize is this also affects them. Of the ones who do know, most of them think it only applies to children’s clothes. Other than apparel the law includes diapers, blankets (housewares), books, videos, computer and electronic products, strollers, cribs, car seats, and anything humans come in contact with in their environment. Our objections are not higher standards for product safety or even the costs involved per se. The problem is Congress wrote the law and forced the CPSC to implement it before the regulations were written. These regulations are not written by people who are familiar with manufacturing and thus, impose unnecessary burdens.

A source I’m not at liberty to quote directly (but you can read it here) for legal advice -although she’s an attorney specializing in these matters AND an environmental engineer says

Another issue is lead paint limit. This limit applies only to painted or similar surface coatings - which would probably mostly be zippers, zipper pulls and perhaps buttons. This standard goes from 600 ppm (now) to 90 ppm. This applies for all painted materials for consumer use - not just kids stuff. I don’t know enough about your industry to know if this coating standard applies to painted on decorations on clothing. But, at the very least, any components of finished garments are going to have to meet this standard.

Three brief points:

1. Regarding the phthalate regulations (a lengthy discourse omitted for brevity) testing for phthalates is roughly three times the cost of lead testing. For purposes of comparison, lead testing is expected to be about $30,000 for a ten piece line in three colorways.
2. The lack of available labs needed to absorb the dramatic increase of testing required. Assuming everyone had the money and time to do it, it would still be impossible without the facilities and inspectors to do it.
3. The requirement of “third party testing”. For our purposes this means you cannot avoid legal liability by relying on testing results supplied to you from your vendors. No no. You have to retest everything yourself. See why it’s problematic that these regulations were not written by those with a background in manufacturing?

Initially, we little guys were feeling a bit put out that these regulations would affect us a lot more than the big guys who have more money. As it turns out, they’ll be hurting in ways we won’t because they are factored. Selling to big box stores is done through loans, so called factoring. On the manufacturing side, loans are extended based on the receivables (invoices) that buyers owe the manufacturer. On the other side, factors lend money to stores to buy the inventory. Factors are a sort of financial middleman. Loans are more than just mere money changing hands; loans are legal contracts. To have a legal contract, the actions described within them must be legal. For example, a contract to hire a hit man is an illegal contract because the act of murder itself is illegal. Thus, loans for inventory and receivables cannot be legally extended unless the goods themselves are legal. Without the CPSIA compliance guaranty certificates, they won’t be.

Since most of the products intended for February delivery are either already made and on the way here or are in the process of being made and few to none of the inputs were tested beforeheand, all of these items will end up in bonded warehouses or landfills because it is illegal to sell them even as seconds. Products made domestically are not immune, they’re in the same boat. A factor is not going to break the law and make an illegal contract so a retailer can buy illegal goods. The end result is there will be a whole lot less product on store shelves. Since there won’t be much to pick from and costs are higher, consumers can expect to pay much higher prices. Prices will be rock bottom on February 9th, but overnight, prices will dramatically increase. The anticipated losses go into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This is not an exaggeration. According to 2002 U.S. Census Data (the last year for which data is available) just considering small U.S. clothing manufacturers, their contribution to the economy is over 900 million dollars annually. Small manufacturers with fewer than 20 employees comprise 68% of total apparel manufacturing in the U.S.. This of course does not include the untold numbers of stores that will go out of business too.

The point is now, what can we do? In the forum we’ve been devising a grassroots plan that we hope to launch tomorrow. One of our members who is familiar with regulatory processes, is drafting a letter you can mail to regulators. You can call your congressman. You can write a letter to the editor of any papers you read, on or offline. You can post about this on your own blog, post comments on blogs you read and talk it up in forums you belong to. You even need to lobby your suppliers too. Ask them what they’re doing about it. They’ll be hurting too if we’re not buying sewing machines or CAD systems. Resolve to post somewhere at least once a day.

The problem we have is that this is a very popular law with consumers and legislators. Because it is so complex, they don’t know what it really means or what its effects will be. In the upper echelons, most of the high level organizations like the AAFA, The Toy Association and the electronics industry are lobbying against it. Their problem is that they are not the grassroots. That’s you. The vast majority of Americans think this is a Great Law, striking back at unethically made low cost imports and thus, legislators are leery of what high level representatives say. That’s why it’s up to you to talk to other consumers like you. We need for consumers to know that this law will put many of us rather than importers out of business at a time when the economy can least absorb it. They need to know that come February, many of the products they expect to find in stores won’t be there. I think consumers will start to get the hint once they start getting tickets for transporting their infants without car seats because they can’t buy them in stores. Considering the consequences, there is little doubt the rules and regulations such as they are, will be rescinded. The only issue is, will they be rescinded before they bury too many of us? This law represents the last nail in the coffin of U.S. manufacturers. Even I’ll be out of a job. Why publish a blog if nearly no one can manufacture?

[guest002]

Thanks for the links.

[Momto2Boyz]

I'm waiting for someone to knock on my door any second now and haul me off to jail for speaking my mind.

Cat

Don't worry, us frugalites will pool our EF's to come and bail you out!