House Passes Bill to Establish CPSC Carbon Monoxide Detector Standards
On July 28, 2010, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1796, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act, which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish mandatory consumer product safety standards for carbon monoxide detectors.
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Although the House has passed H.R. 1796, it is not yet in effect. Generally, in order for a bill to be implemented, identical versions of that bill must be passed by both the House and Senate, and then the bill must be approved (enacted) by the President.
(The companion bill, S. 1216, was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 9, 2009.)
ANSI/UL Carbon Monoxide & Gas Detector Standards Would Become Mandatory
Not later than 90 days after enactment, the CPSC would be required to publish in the Federal Register as mandatory consumer product safety standards the currently voluntary American National Standard for Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms (ANSI/UL 2034) and the American National Standard for Gas and Vapor Detectors and Sensors (ANSI/UL 2075). These mandatory consumer product safety standards would take effect 180 days after their publication.
Revisions to standards. Beginning one year after the date of enactment, CPSC would have to adopt as mandatory any revisions to the ANSI/UL standards, unless it determines that the revisions do not carry out the purposes of H.R. 1796.
Further rulemaking. In addition, CPSC would be able to initiate a rulemaking to amend either standard to include any provision it determines is reasonably necessary to ensure the safe and effective operation of carbon monoxide alarms.
CPSC Study, Report on Additional Languages for Portable Generator Labeling
H.R. 1796 would require the CPSC to, not later than one year after the date of enactment, complete a study to evaluate whether requiring a language or languages in addition to English would improve the effectiveness of the label required of manufacturers of portable generators by the CPSC under 16 CFR part 1407, to warn consumers of carbon monoxide hazards.
Correction to Previous BP Summary
Subscribers should note that BP’s previous summary of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s version of H.R. 1796 in the 07/22/10 issue of ITT, 10072219, was based on an outdated version of the legislation, which included a labeling requirement to show compliance with the mandatory standards. The House-passed version of H.R. 1796 does not contain that labeling provision. BP’s previous summary is being corrected.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 07/29/10 news, 10072912, for previous BP summary announcing House passage of H.R. 1796.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 07/16/10 and 07/01/10 news, 10071612 and 10070134, for BP summaries of the House Energy and Commerce Committee ordering H.R. 1796 reported and marking-up the bill, respectively.)