TSCA Advocacy Day Roundup
TIA staff and members met with federal congressional offices and EPA to encourage TSCA legislation reform
April 18, 2016 | On April 13th, Toy Industry Association (TIA) representatives and several TIA members convened with government officials in Washington, D.C. to discuss the passage of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform legislation.
TSCA has not been substantially updated since 1976. Two TSCA reform bills were passed respectively by the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2015. TIA led last week’s TSCA Advocacy Day to encourage key policymakers to collaborate, finalize legislation and propose a joint bill to President Obama which he can sign into a federal law before he leaves office next year.
TIA has advocated for a reformed TSCA that must provide a national uniform standard for chemical regulation and provide preemption of state chemical bans. State chemical regulatory programs have resulted in complex and costly compliance procedures that often do not increase the safety of children’s products. Both bills include preemption language that would prevent states from banning chemicals in the future.
Jim Jones, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution met with participants to discuss the next steps once the agency begins implementation of a reformed TSCA. Visits were also made to congressional offices, including the staffs of both Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to urge quick floor action once the negotiations have finished.
“We had a lot of good meetings with congressional leadership, who all conveyed that passing TSCA reform during this congressional session is a priority for both chambers and that steps are being taken to make that a reality,” said Ed Desmond, TIA executive vice president, External Affairs.
While the timeline for a conference bill is still being determined, Desmond said he’s hopeful it will be signed into law before the summer.
“TIA members who attended made a strong and effective case for a final, joint TSCA bill with strong preemptive language which needs to be finalized immediately and sent to the president for signature,” Desmond said.