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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.

Save Small Businesses from the CPSIA

Save Small Businesses from the CPSIA

Closed — 34 supporters Verified

Final supporters

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+24 more
Started by Anonymous 17 years, 9 months ago
Like many people, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our nations families. And, I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA. However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third party testing and labeling will have a dramatic and negative effect on small toymakers and crafters of children's products whose safety records have been exemplary. Because of the fees charged by Third Party testing companies, many manufacturers, especially makers of beautiful wooden toys and unique children's clothes from Maine to Oregon will be driven out of business. Their cottage workshops simply do not make enough money to afford the $200 to $4,000 price tag per toy that Third Party testers are charging per item. I urge the CPSC to make some very reasonable exclusions in their interpretation of the law as they continue their rulemaking process. For example, manufacturers should be able to rely on testing done by their materials suppliers instead of paying for redundant unit-based testing. I would also like to see an exemption to third party testing requirements for micro-businesses similar to the exemptions granted by the FDA for small producers under the food labeling laws. These toy makers and crafters have earned and kept the public's trust. They provide jobs for hundreds and quality playthings for thousands. Their unique businesses should be protected. Please visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org to learn more about this issue.

Updates

November 1, 2011

I am currently compiling a list of small businesses that will be forced to close their doors if these testing mandates remain in place. Email your representative today and demand that they support common sense exemptions for crafters. Post the link to this petition on your Facebook wall so we can put more pressure on the CPSC.

November 1, 2011

The momentum behind this push to protect our small makers is building faster than I ever expected. Call your representative today and demand they push for a micro-business exemption before these craftspeople are forced to close their shops.

3 Comments

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Linda Ellis
17 years ago Featured

Please fix this. My neighbor makes beautiful baby clothes and she is going to have to close up shop if this doesnt change. Seems like the govt only cares about big corporations.

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Sarah Gibson
17 years ago Featured

My family loves buying handmade wooden toys from local crafters. These regulations are just gonna kill off all the small shops while the big box stores keep selling junk. Totally unfair.

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Mike Werner
17 years ago Featured

STOP CRUSHING SMALL BUSINESSES!!! these people are just trying to feed their families and make cool stuff. ridiculous fees.