Awning Safety Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6132) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard with respect to retractable awnings.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank Representatives Balderson and Castor for introducing this particular piece of legislation, H.R. 6132, the Awning Safety Act, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our constituents for bringing these issues to our attention. We really appreciate it. I appreciate the chairwoman and the ranking member because they are bringing these issues forward, and they need to be passed unanimously in the House and go over to the Senate. It is so very important.

Motorized awnings pose a known hazard to the public with about 270,000 units being subject to a recall by the manufacturer facilitated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in August of 2019.

This product is associated with many incidents, including at least one report of a death and six serious injuries.

The death involved a 73-year-old man who died after falling from a ladder over an elevated porch when the motorized awning opened and unexpectedly struck him.

There is currently no voluntary standard for motorized awnings, and the recall only covered one manufacturer of the products.

H.R. 6132 will save lives and will require the CPSC to promulgate a mandatory standard regarding these home retractable awnings, which is within the jurisdiction of the CPSC.

This is a commonsense bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to support this particular bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote. I thank my colleagues, Representative Castor from the State of Florida, and, of course, Mr. Balderson from the great State of Ohio for sponsoring the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Awning Safety Act, which aims to enhance the safety of awnings commonly found in Ohio homes and households across the Nation.

A retractable awning can serve as a valuable source of shade and a gathering spot for family and friends. However, it can pose a significant risk if not properly handled.

This legislation directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish safety standards for fixed and freestanding awnings being typically installed in homes.

My Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues and I learned of the serious risk surrounding the awnings this past August when tragedy struck the family of Olivia Shields, a staff member for the committee at the time. Olivia and her mother are in the gallery as I speak.

Her father, Michael Hnat, was carrying out a routine household task, taking down the retractable awning from the family home.

He was on a ladder when the spring-loaded arm of the awning unexpectedly shot out at him, forcing his ladder to tip and causing him to fall.

Michael suffered a severe spinal cord injury, and despite efforts to save him, he tragically passed away a few days later.

His passing affected his family profoundly and reverberated throughout the communities he touched. Michael was renowned for his kindness, generosity, and selflessness, often going above and beyond to help others in need.

He was a devoted family man, a cherished husband to Jill, and a loving father to their children, Annaliese, Olivia, Abbey, Seamus, Emma, his sons-in-law, and his grandchildren. Michael's untimely death underscores the importance of ensuring the safety of household products like awnings, and by passing this legislation today, we can prevent future tragedies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 6132, the Awning Safety Act. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of 270,000 motorized awnings that had caused six injuries and, tragically, one death.

These products are a known hazard to the public, and while I commend the CPSC for taking action in 2019, we must do more to ensure motorized awning products, regardless of brand or manufacturer, are safe.

The Awning Safety Act before us today would require the CPSC to create a mandatory safety standard for fixed and freestanding retractable awnings.

Currently, there is no standard, voluntary or mandatory, for these awnings, and injuries continue to mount.

Just last year, Dr. Michael Hnat, the father of a former Republican committee staffer, tragically died as a result of an incident involving a retractable awning.

We must act to ensure that other American families do not suffer a similar tragedy because of problems with retractable awnings.

I commend Representative Castor, the Democratic lead on this bill, and Congressman Balderson for their bipartisan work and leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6132, the Awning Safety Act.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), the Democratic sponsor of this bill and the ranking member of our Energy and Commerce's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Obviously, we have to prevent more tragedies like what occurred. I ask unanimous support for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pallone for yielding the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6132, the Awning Safety Act, which passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously. I thank Representative Balderson for working with me and leading this important consumer protection bill that will prompt the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a safety standard for fixed and freestanding motorized, retractable awnings.

Awnings are common for households across the country. The last thing a person should be worried about is a defective product, but in 2019, a motorized product was recalled after 14 incidents, including one fatal injury. The CPSC worked quickly with the manufacturer to recall the product and provide a remedy for consumers, but all consumers deserve protection.

It is important that the CPSC continues this work to save lives and keep families safe. That is why Representative Balderson and I are offering this bill to provide oversight and increased safety, empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and help prevent other families from suffering through tragic injuries and even deaths.

Consumers and their children deserve to enjoy the great outdoors without the fear of injury or death from products they presume to be safe. I thank the committee's chairwoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, for encouraging us in this effort, as well as Ranking Member Pallone and the entire committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.