[Libs-Or] Fwd: [District Dispatch] ALA: U.S. Rep. Fortenberry’s legisl ation will protect books from regulation

[Diedre Conkling]

 ALA: U.S. Rep. Fortenberry’s legislation will protect books from regulation
<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=2401> March 25th, 2009

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=2401

Nebraska congressman introduces bill to amend consumer safety act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jenni Terry <jterry at alawash.org>

*WASHINGTON, D.C.* – The American Library Association (ALA) supports
legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) yesterday to
amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) to exempt ordinary
books from the lead limit within the act.  This is a welcome step toward
ensuring libraries will not be adversely affected by the law.

In August 2008, Congress passed CPSIA, an important law to protect children
from the real dangers of toys made with lead-based paint; however, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) misinterpreted the law  to  apply
to ordinary books for children 12  years of age or younger.

The law was set to go into effect on February 10, 2009, but in late January
2009, the CPSC issued a one-year stay of implementation for enforcement of
the new lead limits in children’s products, stating that the commission will
not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing or
selling a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain
natural materials, such as an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985.

Fortenberry’s bill, H.R. 1692, would remove the pre-1985 provision and
states that CPSIA was not intended to apply to ordinary books – those books
that are published on paper or cardboard, printed by conventional publishing
methods, intended to be read, and lacking inherent play value. H.R. 1692
also states that testing has shown that finished books and their component
materials contain total lead content at levels considered non-detectable,
and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that
there is little risk to children from lead in ordinary books.

“We are grateful for this bill since it supports what the ALA, libraries,
teachers and parents know to be true – books are safe and should not be
regulated by this law,” ALA President Jim Rettig said.

“Reading is critical to child development, and libraries should be free to
continue providing services to children without the fear of having to comply
with unnecessary and expensive testing.  Rep. Fortenberry’s bill corrects
the CPSC’s misinterpretation that would deny our children access to books
and limit their opportunities to learn.”

Read the full text of the bill
here<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/forten_019_xml.pdf>
.

-- 
Diedre Conkling
diedre08 at gmail.com
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