It’s not the News & Commens section’s M.O. to cite pieces from www.consumerffairs.com. But Joseph S. Enoch deserves a link for laying out a compromise apparently hashed out by the House and Senate last night over the Consumer Product Safety Commssion Reform Act. The bill to rescue the grossly under-resourced Consumer Product Safety Commission passed the Senate in March, but has been stalled since.

Enoch lays out 21 different provisions that signal a much stronger, if still flawed, CPSC. These include a publicly searchable database of consumer complaints, whistleblower protections, and an increased cap for civil penalties against nefarious or negligent industry. Also tucked in, however, may be a "preemption provision" that prevents consumers from suing in state court about a defective product if CPSC has deemed that product safe.

The bill likely won’t be agreed upon in its final form until after the 4th of July Congressional recess. Stay tuned.-MB

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