Alexandria, Virginia - The US Congress has passed a bill to amend portions of the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), according to the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA).
The bill makes a number of changes to the CPSIA that should benefit mattress manufacturers, ISPA said in a 4 Aug statement.
The association, which is dedicated to the protection and expansion of the global mattress industry, said the bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to assess the costs associated with its third-party testing requirements for products including children's mattresses. The bill also makes important changes to the CPSIA's lead and phthalates restrictions.
This action marks the first changes to the CPSIA since it was passed in 2008 and is a victory for the mattress industry, Alexandria, Virginia-based ISPA said.
Since the CPSIA's enactment three years ago, ISPA lobbied both Congress and the CPSC to implement the law's provisions in a manner that would not impose "needless burdens" on US manufacturers.
"ISPA applauds Congress for finally altering several provisions of the CPSIA that imposed costly and redundant requirements on manufacturers, but did not improve consumer safety," commented ISPA president Ryan Trainer.
He added, "This victory for our industry will add more common sense to the consumer product rules that the mattress industry must meet without compromising product safety."
US President Barack Obama is expected to sign the measure soon.
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