You may or may not have seen my new button (I just put it there this morning), but there is a highly intrusive law that is about to take major effect on February 10, that will/can have MAJOR repercussions for our economy, particularly for the poor and stores that resell.

The law is the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, and it was sponsored by democratic congressman Bobby Rush, passed by the House, Senate and signed into law in August by President Bush.

The law in itself was something that we needed, in light of the ridiculous recalls from 2007, but the law was written to be so broad that it will destroy small business and thrift stores if it is carried out to its fullest extent.

Basically, ALL products aimed at children (toys AND clothing) will have to be tested for lead and phthalates (remember those aqua-dots? they were recalled because of this), and this includes products made here in the US, as well as Europe and the rest of the world. Interestingly, European standards are and always have been much higher than ours in regards to product safety, and though 99.99% of products made there will be perfectly safe for our children, we are going to have a lot harder time finding them without going there to purchase them.

The saddest part of this law is that it made no exceptions for thrift resale, and anyone who wants to resell items in a store MUST have them tested. The CPSC is looking at the law and trying to decide whether or not it will exempt these businesses from testing (which it SHOULD). But in the meantime, parents who are already struggling to afford even thrift-store toys are going to find it that much more difficult to find cheap, but safe, toys for their children.

The other problem, which I mentioned above and is the real zinger, is that this law will put small business OUT of business, because the charges for testing are outrageous (third-party testers charge thousands of dollars), and small businesses will simply not be able to afford it.

This includes not only makers of toys, such as those found on Etsy, but makers of children’s clothing in the US and even cloth diaper sales by work-from-home-moms.

If you feel strongly about this, as I do, then continue to read about it on the links provided below, and consider signing a petition to be sent to congress or contact someone today. Don’t let small business get run out of business by those who had “good intentions.”

Read about it:

http://www.greenphonebooth.com/2008/12/lets-keep-handmade-in-business.html

http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.html

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/cpsc-formally-calls-for-comments-on-new-cpsia-testing-rules/

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/how-you-can-help

http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/five-steps-you-can-take-to-save-natural-and-handmade-companies

http://www.fromcribstocarkeys.com/2009/01/think-the-cpsia-doesn%E2%80%99t-affect-you-think-again/

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/01/07/video-cpsia-threatens-thrift-stores-and-charities/

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thrift2-2009jan02,0,2083247.story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Product_Safety_Improvement_Act