U.S. PIRG Consumer Blog: CPSC Claims To Preempt State Consumer Rights

(update corrected links, 26 June 07) This week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission passed what could have been a pro-consumer mattress flammability standard. Unfortunately, at the last minute, the agency added very troubling and unacceptable politically-motivated preemption language purporting that any manufacturer who complies with the new standard has a shield against consumer lawsuits for harm under state laws. Click Continue for more.

CPSC is supposedly an independent safety agency, but has joined FDA, NHTSA and other Bush Administration agencies in seeking to roll back long-standing state consumer protections. Here's our consumer group letter in opposition, with the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and other leading groups. Here's a letter condemning the action from the ranking member (senior Democrat) of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI_. Here's PIRG's Preemption Alert, with more details on how the Bush Administration, some some elements in Congress and industry groups seek to limit the right of states to protect consumer health, safety and pocketbooks.