Earlier this week, a coalition of children’s safety and health advocates joined together to urge Members of Congress to support the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act (HR. 1314/S. 441).

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a child is sent to the emergency department every 60 minutes following a furniture tip-over incident, and one to two children die every month.

“Under this bipartisan bill, the CPSC would be required to issue a mandatory safety standard for the stability of dressers and other clothing storage units within one year of enactment. The new rule would require testing to simulate the weights of children up to 72 months old; require testing measures to account for scenarios involving carpeting, drawers with items in them, multiple open drawers, and the dynamic forces of a climbing child; and mandate strong warning requirements. These provisions would significantly improve on the current voluntary standard by better representing the real-world risks children face from furniture tip-overs,” the groups stated.

Link to Senate letter

Link to House letter