External Affairs Update: Open Call for New Drone Committee, NY Toy Day, CPSC Budget Hearing and More
May 16, 2016 | The Toy Industry Association (TIA) advocates on federal- and state-level legislation and policy that can potentially impact the toy industry. Below are updates for TIA members:
Drone Advisory Committee Calls for Participants
As previously reported, TIA was involved in the Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Rulemaking Committee to provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with recommendations to establish a framework for classifying and flying drones above people.
The FAA has now announced the establishment of a drone advisory committee that will work with the FAA to identify and propose actions to address the wide range of unmanned aircraft integration challenges. Applications to participate in the committee are due May 19th with membership selections expected by May 31st. The group will be chaired by Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel.
TIA will continue to stay engaged in drone issues that impact the toy industry to ensure that the regulations reflect the nominal risk presented in the product category. For more information on UAS activities, contact Rebecca Mond, TIA’s senior director of federal government affairs.
New York State Toy Day Set for May 24
Any toy company with business interests in New York state is invited to attend TIA’s New York State Toy Day on Tuesday, May 24th at the State Capitol in Albany. This event is an excellent opportunity to meet with legislators and educate them about toy industry issues in the Empire State. Questions may be directed to Owen Caine, TIA’s director of state government affairs.
CPSC to Hold Budget Priorities Hearing
On June 15th, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a public hearing to help determine its priorities for spending allocated budgets for fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
TIA has both testified and submitted comments on behalf of the toy industry regarding CPSC budget spending in years past, and plans to submit suggestions again this year. Past comments have requested CPSC to prioritize reducing third party testing burdens; improving import surveillance to ease burdens on compliant trade; and educating industry about toy requirement compliance. Members who would like their suggestions to be folded into TIA’s comments are encouraged to contact Autumn Moore, TIA’s manager of standards and regulatory affairs, by close of business on Wednesday, May 25th. Comments are due to CPSC on June 1st.
TIA Attends CARU Conference
TIA and several member companies attended the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) annual conference in California last week. The conference touched on several topics involving advertising to children, including navigating the requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), mitigating risk in data collection and security, and exploring the trends of marketing toys to children. For more information on the conference, contact TIA’s Autumn Moore.