16 CFR Chapter II - CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

The Commission, with the concurrence of the Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice, announces ministerial changes to the Antitrust Improvements Act Notification and Report Form (“HSR Form”) to make it conform to recently published amendments to the associated Instructions and to reflect changes to the noncompliance penalty and the Premerger Notification Office address.

Section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be “substantially the same as” applicable voluntary standards, or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for booster seats in response to the direction under section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In addition, the Commission is proposing an amendment to include booster seats in the list of notice of requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined preliminarily that there may be an unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries associated with table saws. In 2015, there were an estimated 33,400 table saw, emergency department-treated injuries. Of these, CPSC staff estimates that 30,800 (92 percent) are likely related to the victim making contact with the saw blade. CPSC staff's review of the existing data indicates that currently available safety devices, such as the modular blade guard and riving knife, do not adequately address the unreasonable risk of blade-contact injuries on table saws. To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule that is based, in part, on work conducted by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. The proposed rule would establish a performance standard that requires table saws, when powered on, to limit the depth of cut to 3.5 millimeters when a test probe, acting as surrogate for a human body/finger, contacts the spinning blade at a radial approach rate of 1 meter per second (m/s). The proposed rule would address an estimated 54,800 medically treated blade-contact injuries annually. The Commission estimates that the proposed rule's aggregate net benefits on an annual basis could range from about $625 million to about $2,300 million.

The Federal Trade Commission is implementing provisions of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 by amending the regulation governing fees the agency may assess to offset the cost of disseminating information and records to the public. The FTC is also making other clarifying changes and updates to the fee regulation.

The Federal Trade Commission publishes this document and request for public comment concerning proposed modifications to TRUSTe's self-regulatory guidelines, under the safe harbor provision of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) regarding fireworks in the Federal Register on February 2, 2017. The NPR invited the public to submit written comments during a 75-day comment period beginning on the NPR publication date. In response to a request for an extension of the comment period, the Commission is extending the comment period by 90 days.

The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be “substantially the same as” applicable voluntary standards, or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for infant inclined sleep products (inclined sleep products) in response to the direction under section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In addition, the Commission is proposing an amendment to include inclined sleep products in the list of notice of requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission. The Commission is also proposing to explicitly identify infant inclined sleep products as a durable infant or toddler product subject to CPSC's consumer registration requirements.

The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be “substantially the same as” applicable voluntary standards, or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is issuing a safety standard for infant bath tubs in response to the direction of section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In addition, the Commission is amending its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies to include the mandatory standard for infant bath tubs in the list of notices of requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission.

This final rule removes from the Code of Federal Regulations the final rule published on October 3, 2014, titled, “Safety Standard for Magnet Sets.” This action responds to a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that vacated the rule.

In accordance with section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), also known as the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, in April 2011 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission, or CPSC) published a consumer product safety standard for toddler beds. The standard incorporated by reference the ASTM voluntary standard for toddler beds, with several modifications. The CPSIA sets forth a process for updating standards that the Commission has issued under the authority of section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In accordance with that process, we are publishing this direct final rule, revising the CPSC's standard for toddler beds to incorporate by reference a more recent version of the applicable ASTM standard.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, Commission) announces that there will be an opportunity for interested persons to present oral comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) the Commission issued proposing a standard that limits carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from operating portable generators. Any oral comments will be part of the rulemaking record.

The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be “substantially the same as” applicable voluntary standards, or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is issuing a safety standard for infant slings (sling carriers) in response to the direction of section 104(b) of the CPSIA. In addition, the Commission is amending its regulations regarding third party conformity assessment bodies to include the mandatory standard for slings in the list of Notices of Requirements (NOR) issued by the Commission.

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) is confirming certain amendments made on an interim final basis to the civil penalty amounts within its jurisdiction in June 2016 and implementing further adjustments to the civil penalty amounts within its jurisdiction to account for inflation, as required by law.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission, CPSC, or we) is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to update its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) rule. We are proposing to revise the rule to conform to the amendments of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 (the 2016 FOIA) to the FOIA. The Commission also proposes to update the rule to reflect changes in Commission procedures, update Commission contact information, including current methods of submitting requests for records to the Commission, revise employee titles, and make various technical changes and corrections. This NPR seeks comments on the proposed changes to the rule.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) voted to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) in the Federal Register on November 2, 2016, concerning portable generators. The NPR invited the public to submit written comments during a comment period that would close 75 days after the date of publication of the NPR in the Federal Register . In response to a request for an extension, the Commission is extending the comment period.

As part of its regulatory review of the Contact Lens Rule (“Rule”), and consistent with the requirements of the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (the “Act”), the Federal Trade Commission proposes to amend the Rule to require that prescribers obtain a signed acknowledgment after releasing a contact lens prescription to a patient, and maintain each such acknowledgment for a period of not less than three years. The Commission seeks comment on this proposal and several other issues.

The Commission grants the petition of gasoline dispenser manufacturer Gilbarco, Inc. (“Gilbarco”) requesting permission for ethanol flex fuel retailers to post ethanol flex fuel rating labels that differ from size and shape specifications in the Commission's Rule for Automotive Fuel Ratings, Certification and Posting (“Rule”). The Commission grants the partial exemption without a notice and comment period because “for good cause” the Commission finds that notice and comment is unnecessary in this case. The Commission previously granted similar requests from Gilbarco and other dispenser manufacturers without notice and comment procedures.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined preliminarily that there may be an unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with portable generators. To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule that limits CO emissions from operating portable generators. Specifically, the proposed rule would require that portable generators powered by handheld spark-ignition (SI) engines and Class I SI engines not exceed a weighted CO emission rate of 75 grams per hour (g/hr); generators powered by one-cylinder, Class II SI engines must not exceed a weighted CO emission rate of 150 g/h; and generators powered by Class II SI engines with two cylinders must not exceed a weighted emission rate of 300 g/h.

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) amends the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule (“Rule” or “Used Car Rule”). The Final Rule adopts the following proposals: adding a Buyers Guide statement recommending that consumers obtain a vehicle history report (“VHR”), and directing them to an FTC website for more information about VHRs and safety recalls; revising the Buyers Guide statement describing the meaning of an “As Is” sale in which a dealer offers a vehicle for sale without a warranty; adding boxes to the front of the Buyers Guide where dealers can indicate additional warranty and service contract coverage; adding a Spanish statement to the English Buyers Guide advising consumers to ask for a copy of the Buyers Guide in Spanish if the dealer is conducting the sale in Spanish (and providing a Spanish translation of the optional consumer acknowledgment of receipt of the Buyers Guide); and adding air bags and catalytic converters to the list of major defects on the back of the Buyers Guide.

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) is extending the deadline for filing public comments on its recent Request for Public Comment on the Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information (“Safeguards Rule” or “Rule”).

The Federal Trade Commission is correcting a final rule published in the Federal Register of September 15, 2016 (81 FR 63634). This document corrects provisions in the final rule related to ceiling fan labeling requirements.

As part of its regular review of all its Rules and Guides, and in response to Congressional amendments to the Hobby Protection Act (“Hobby Act” or “Act”), the Federal Trade Commission (“Commission”) amends its Rules and Regulations under the Hobby Protection Act (“Rules”).

The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards must be substantially the same as applicable voluntary standards or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission determines that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with a product. Pursuant to the direction under section 104(b) of the CPSIA, the Commission is proposing a safety standard for baby changing products. The proposed rule would incorporate by reference ASTM F2388-16, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Baby Changing Tables for Domestic Use (ASTM F2388-16) into our regulations and impose more stringent requirements for structural integrity, restraint system integrity, and warnings on labels and in instructional literature. In addition, the Commission proposes to amend our regulations include the proposed safety standard for baby changing products in the list of notice of requirements (NORs) issued by the Commission.

The Commission proposes amendments to the Energy Labeling Rule to require labels for portable air conditioners, large-diameter and high-speed small diameter ceiling fans, and instantaneous electric water heaters. Additionally, it proposes eliminating certain marking requirements for plumbing products.