New Civil Liberties Alliance Alleges CPSC and Commissioner Trumka Exceeded Authority and Plans to File Suit
- In early May 2024, the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) notified the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that it intended to file suit against CPSC and CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka for allegedly violating the constitutional and statutory rights of its client, Dreamland Baby... ›
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Heavily Featured at 2024 NFPA Conference
By: Erin M. Bosman, Matt Robinson and Rachel A. Kaiser
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries, commonly found in devices used every day, including cell phones, e-cigarettes, and laptops. Lithium-ion batteries are also found in electric vehicles, e-scooters, and other micro-mobility vehicles. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate... ›CPSC at ICPHSO: Reese’s Law and Mandatory eFiling Requirement
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Matt Robinson
In this final installment of our series (see part 1 , part 2 , and part 3 ) discussing CPSC’s presence at the 2024 International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s annual symposium, we present two smaller, but important, CPSC updates: Implementation of Reese’s... ›CPSC at ICPHSO: E-Commerce Platforms and Product Safety Responsibilities
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Matt Robinson
This third installment of our series (see part 1 and part 2 ) highlights regulators and other stakeholders’ growing focus on e-commerce platforms’ role in protecting consumers from unsafe products, as the percentage of online consumer product sales continues to increase. In addition to... ›CPSC at ICPHSO: Office of Compliance Activity
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Matt Robinson
This second installment of our series highlights CPSC’s Office of Compliance Activity and continued aggressive enforcement efforts. Multiple presenters emphasized CPSC’s continued aggressive enforcement. Commenters frequently repeated the statistic that CPSC obtained over $52 million in civil penalties in its fiscal year 2023. Further,... ›CPSC at ICPHSO: 2024 Enforcement Priorities
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Matt Robinson
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was well represented at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s annual symposium in Orlando, which took place in February. Agency representatives provided a number of insights to consumer product safety stakeholders. This week, we will be... ›CPSC Imposes New Requirements for Button Cell and Coin Batteries Pursuant to Reese’s Law
By: Julie Y. Park, Matt Robinson and Cedar Hobbs
Button cell and coin battery manufacturers and importers need to know about new requirements that come into effect next year. On September 21, 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), pursuant to its authority under Reese’s Law, published two rules imposing additional requirements for... ›Right to Repair Laws: Coming Soon to a State Near You
By: Julie Y. Park
Consumer products businesses should know that “right to repair” laws are here to stay. Frustrated with restrictions on repairing consumer electronics, advocacy organizations spearheaded a grassroots “right to repair” movement that is gaining traction. Publicly endorsed by the White House and the Federal Trade... ›Confidentiality at Risk: California Legislature Considers Bill That Would Limit Scope of Confidentiality in Product Liability and Environmental Cases and Settlements
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would limit confidentiality in cases involving allegations of defective products or environmental harms by placing restrictions on protective orders and confidentiality terms in settlement agreements. Generally, parties litigating cases alleging defective products or environmental conditions may stipulate... ›Pleading and Preemption: Immunization Against Vaccine Products Liability Claims
By: Julie Y. Park and Alexandra Preece Barlow
In a recent win for vaccine manufacturers, a district court found that federal law preempted claims against Merck, arising out of alleged injuries from the Gardasil vaccine. Herlth v. Merck & Co., Inc. , No. 3:21-cv-438 (JAM), 2022 WL 788669 (D. Conn., Mar. 15,... ›