Washington, D.C. – The Consumer Federation of America and other consumer groups joined to send a letter to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on two important product safety-related bills that will be considered in Executive Session on July 24th, 2019. The two bills are the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act, or SOFFA (S. 1341), and The Consumer Product Safety Commission Chief Information Office Parity Act, or CPSC CIO Parity Act (S. 1858).

SOFFA would adopt a California flammability standard as a federal standard to help protect against the risk of upholstered furniture fires and consumer exposure to flame retardant chemicals. While the bill seeks to protect consumers from both fires and flame retardant exposure, the groups urged the Senate to strengthen the bill to exceed California’s standard (TB 117-2013) level of protection.

The CPSC CIO Parity Act would ensure that the Chief Information Officer of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has a significant role in information technology, including the planning, programming, hiring and reporting activities and processes related to information technology. While the groups support the effort to improve information technology at the Commission, the groups urged that enough funds be appropriated to cover the costs of a Chief Information Officer, other additional full-time employees hired with information technology responsibilities, and programs to improve the CPSC’s information technology infrastructure.

The groups hope to see these bills strengthened and passed into law in order to protect consumers and strengthen the CPSC.