Cliff Stearns: “my colleagues, this bill aims to improve the recall process of children's products such as toys and furniture by…”

“my colleagues, this bill aims to improve the recall process of children's products such as toys and furniture by requiring the inclusion of a product safety registration card with each product at the point of sale. The program is modeled on the car seat registration program mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, better known as NHTSA. Now, my colleagues, this legislation creates a new mechanism for keeping consumers informed of child product recalls. To the extent we can improve the recall process, we should, and we think it's a good idea. Parents should know as soon as possible, if they own a product that's dangerous to their child's safety. Children have been injured by the continued use of a recalled product simply because the parents were simply unaware of the product's dangerous nature. Our hope is that this registration program will render these type of accidents preventable. Now, my colleagues, of course children's products are often passed along to other friends or family members once their child is grown, outgrows its use. We all know that. We put it up in the attic, then we hear a friend at church says they have a new child and we bring down this particular product. So many products are donated to charity outlets for resale, or sold at secondhand stores, online or at yard sales. No registration program will reach these parents in the event of a recall. They'll have to depend upon media.…”