NCL details outlines priorities for the consumer product safety commission
Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829
Washington, DC – In response to a Notice of Public Hearing, the National Consumers League (NCL) provided comments on the agenda and priorities of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for fiscal year 2026 and 2027. In their comments, NCL conveys its support for a strong, independent CPSC and encourages the agency to establish standards and conduct enforcement activities necessary to address unacceptable risks posed by product hazards.
“NCL strongly opposes any attempt to eliminate or otherwise transfer the functions of the CPSC to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” writes Daniel Greene, NCL’s Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety. “Congress deliberately established an independent, nonpartisan agency with exclusive authority over the safety of consumer products. Such independence ensures that product safety issues are treated like the public safety imperative they so clearly are. That independence should be preserved.”
NCL also expresses its strong support for increasing resources and personnel for the CPSC.
“Efforts to dramatically reduce the CPSC’s resources, staff, and facilities could substantially diminish the Commission’s ability to carry out its mission,” Greene continues. “More resources and personnel will enable the CPSC to better stop hazardous products at U.S. ports of entry, vigorously enforce product safety laws, investigate product hazards, effectively convey safety information to the American public, and accelerate the modernization of mission-critical technology.”
The comments conclude by detailing several vital safety standards and authorities, including table saw safety standards, increased accountability for e-commerce sites, and more personnel for import surveillance.
“Previous voluntary standards [for table saw safety] have been ineffective in preventing injuries, thus justifying the need for this mandatory safety standard using proven effective technology that prevents serious injuries from table saws,” Greene writes. “The matter of table saw safety has been an ongoing concern of NCL for more than a decade. It’s time to get this vital standard over the finish line.”
A copy of NCL’s comments can be found HERE.
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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.