From: SRS

After taking comments from the public, and by that we mean, the remarks of a handful of advocates and consumers and the complaints of 33 trade organization reps and business owners, the U.S. Product Safety Commission is now preparing to vote on a Final Rule to establish a consumer complaint database.

The creation of the rule began in May, with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Since then, the CPSC has been striving to maintain the balance between the fears of consumer products manufacturers, the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), and the suggestions of advocates.

A vote of the full commission is scheduled for Nov. 17. After the Final Rule is passed, the CPSC expects to launch the database in March.

According to Section 212 of the CPSIA, the database must be available through the CPSC website and presented in a user-friendly format that encourages the public to report injuries and defects. In addition to consumer complaints, the database will include the reports that manufacturers and private-label firms are required to make under Section 15(c) of the CPSA and the actions the agency makes in response to that information.

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