House Bill Would Exempt Books & Printed Material from CPSIA Kid's Lead Limits
On January 12, 2011, Representative Fortenberry (R) introduced H.R. 272, a bill to exempt ordinary books and paper-based printed materials from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) lead content limits for children’s products.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
The bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade on February 1, 2011.
Would Exempt Ordinary Books, Magazines, Posters, Greeting Cards, Etc
The bill would amend section 101 of the CPSIA by adding an exclusion from the CPSIA lead content limits for:
“Ordinary books” -- which would mean books printed on paper or cardboard, printed with inks or toners, and bound and finished using a conventional method that are intended to be read or have educational value; and
“Ordinary paper-based printed materials” -- which would mean materials printed on paper or cardboard, such as magazines, posters, greeting cards, and similar products, that are printed with inks or toners and bound and finished using a conventional method.
Bill Says Books Have Low Lead, Not Intended to be Covered by CPSIA
The bill states that publishers and printers in the U.S. as well as much of the world do not use lead-based chemicals or other materials in the manufacturing of ordinary books and paper-based printed material. It adds that the CPSIA was not intended to apply to ordinary books and paper-based materials--those books and materials that are published on paper or cardboard and printed by conventional publishing methods.
CPSC Has Suggested Such an Exemption, but Past Bills Have Stalled
Note that CPSC has previously suggested that Congress exempt ordinary books and similar printed material from the CPSIA lead limits. Several bills to do so were introduced in the 111th congress, but did not advance. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 01/19/10, 03/05/10 and 03/25/09 news, 10011905, 10030556 and 09032550, for BP summaries of CPSC’s suggestion and 2 introduced bills.)