S. 374: A bill to amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide regulatory relief to small and family-owned businesses.

111th Congress · introduced 2009-02-04 · Commerce · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-02-04 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide regulatory relief to small and family-owned businesses.

Plain summary

Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to allow a secondhand seller to sell, offer for sale, or distribute a product or substance that is not in conformity with a consumer product safety rule relating to lead in children's products or to currently-required labeling for children's products. Defines "secondhand seller" to include: (1) a consignment or thrift shop; (2) an individual who uses the Internet, a yard sale, or other casual means; or (3) a person who sells such a product at an auction to benefit a nonprofit organization. Delays by six months each required step down in the allowed lead level in children's products. Applies this change as though it had taken effect on August 15, 2008. Prevents a specified requirement for third-party children's product safety testing from going into effect before August 9, 2009. Applies this change as though it had taken effect on August 15, 2008. Relieves a manufacturer from the requirement to test or certify a product regarding lead content if the manufacturer has tested and certifies each component of the product. Prohibits either the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or any state attorney general from initiating an enforcement proceeding under the Consumer Product Safety Act or the Federal Hazardous Substances Act regarding product certification and labeling and children's products containing lead until 30 days after the issuance of final rules, regulations, or guidance. Requires the CPSC to waive any civil penalty for a good faith first violation of a prohibition under the Act. Requires the CPSC to develop, publish, and distribute a guide to assist small enterprises in complying with the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act and other Acts enforced by the CPSC.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to provide regulatory relief to small and family-owned businesses.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. DeMint, Jim [R-SC] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Mike Crapo (R-ID)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s374.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s374 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111