Congress Enacts Legislation to Strengthen CPSC

On August 14, 2008, the President signed into law Public Law No. 110-314, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The new law contains a number of provisions relating to children’s products, including lead.  It also contains provisions relating to the administrative functions that have been delegated to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC"), enhances the authority of the CPSC to order recalls, increases the amount of the civil penalties that the CPSC may impose, and has other miscellaneous provisions.  Most of the provisions took effect on the date of enactment, although some provisions will not take effect for up to sixty days.