Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
The bipartisan STURDY Act would strengthen furniture safety standards to prevent children from being injured by fatal furniture tip-overs
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that her bipartisan legislation to protect children from furniture tip-over injuries passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously by voice vote.
The STURDY Act, which Klobuchar originally introduced alongside Senators Casey (D-PA), and Blumenthal (D-CT), and is co-sponsored by Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), strengthens furniture safety standards to prevent children from being injured by fatal furniture tip-overs. Each year, nearly 10,000 children go to the ER as a result of furniture tip-over injuries.
“No family should live in fear that their child could be severely injured or even killed by preventable accidents,” said Klobuchar. “By strengthening our furniture safety standards, the STURDY Act will help protect more children from the risks of furniture tip-overs. Now that this bill has advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee with bipartisan support, I look forward to it passing the full Senate and being signed into law.”
In April, Klobuchar held a press conference with representatives from the Children’s Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis, and furniture tip-over prevention advocate Janet McGee to highlight resources to protect children from tip-over injuries. McGee, of Eagan, Minnesota, lost her 22-month-old son, Teddy, in 2016 after a dresser toppled over while he was taking a nap.
Klobuchar’s legislation would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set mandatory rules for manufacturers to prevent furniture tip-overs, including requiring companies to test their products for safety and stability before being sold. The bill has been endorsed by consumer groups, Parents Against Tip-overs, and manufacturers and retailers like IKEA, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel, and Williams-Sonoma.
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