IIB
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2474
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 15, 2007
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
AN ACT
To provide for an increased maximum civil penalty for violations under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Product Safety Civil Penalties
Improvement Act
.
Maximum civil penalties of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Initial increase in maximum civil penalties
Temporary increase
Notwithstanding the dollar amounts specified for maximum civil penalties specified in section 20(a)(1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2069(a)(1)), section 5(c)(1) of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, and section 5(e)(1) of the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1194(e)(1)), the maximum civil penalties for any violation specified in such sections shall be $5,000,000, beginning on the date that is the earlier of the date on which final regulations are issued under section 3(b) or 360 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Effective date
Paragraph (1) shall cease to be in effect on the date on which the amendments made by subsection (b)(1) shall take effect.
Permanent increase in maximum civil penalties
Amendments
Consumer Product Safety Act
Section 20(a)(1)
of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2069(a)(1)) is amended by
striking $1,250,000
both places it appears and inserting
$10,000,000
.
Federal Hazardous Substances Act
Section 5(c)(1) of the Federal Hazardous
Substances Act (15
U.S.C. 1264(c)(1)) is amended by striking
$1,250,000
both places it appears and inserting
$10,000,000
.
Flammable Fabrics Act
Section 5(e)(1)
of the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1194(e)(1)) is amended by
striking $1,250,000
and inserting
$10,000,000
.
Effective date
The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the earlier of—
the date on which final regulations are issued pursuant to section 3(b); or
360 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Determination of penalties by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Factors to be considered
Consumer Product Safety Act
Section 20(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2069(b)) is amended—
by inserting
the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation,
including
after shall consider
;
by striking
products distributed, and
and inserting products
distributed,
; and
by inserting
, and such other factors as appropriate
before the
period.
Federal Hazardous Substances Act
Section 5(c)(3) of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (15 U.S.C. 1264(c)(3)) is amended—
by inserting
the nature, circumstances, extent ,and gravity of the violation,
including
after shall consider
;
by striking
substance distributed, and
and inserting substance
distributed,
; and
by inserting
, and such other factors as appropriate
before the
period.
Flammable Fabrics Act
Section 5(e)(2) of the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1194(e)(2)) is amended—
by striking
nature and number
and inserting nature, circumstances,
extent, and gravity
;
by striking
absence of injury, and
and inserting absence of
injury,
; and
by inserting
, and such other factors as appropriate
before the
period.
Regulations
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and in accordance with the procedures of section 553 of title 5, United States Code, the Commission shall issue a final regulation providing its interpretation of the penalty factors described in section 20(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2069(b)), section 5(c)(3) of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (15 U.S.C. 1264(c)(3)), and section 5(e)(2) of the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1194(e)(2)), as amended by subsection (a).
Passed the House of Representatives October 9, 2007.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.