Toy Association Priority Battery Safety Bill Moves to President Biden’s Desk

August 3, 2022 | A critical bill that adopts toy safety standards and will protect children and other consumers from the dangers posed by button cell or coin batteries in a variety of household products was approved today by the U.S. Senate. It now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

Reese’s Law charges the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with establishing a mandatory requirement for child-resistant closures on battery-operated consumer products that utilize button or coin cells. Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill with bipartisan support.

“The Toy Association applauds Congress for quickly acting on this critical piece of legislation which achieves our goal of aligning with well-established toy safety standards for battery safety,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “The toy industry has long understood batteries to pose a potential health hazard to children if ingested and addressed this many years ago with stringent battery accessibility requirements for toys. As a staunch advocate for battery safety and supporter of Reese’s Law, we and our member companies welcome President Biden’s signature and the opportunity to assist our partners at the CPSC as they implement regulations.”

As part of its advocacy for battery safety, The Toy Association testified before the Senate about battery safety and other product safety concerns last November and urged the CPSC to apply the toy industry model for battery safety to other products common in children’s environments during a CPSC priorities hearing in April.

Pasierb added, “The Toy Association thanks the leadership of Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, all those who supported this life-saving legislation, and the staff who worked tirelessly alongside ours to make this day possible.”

Reese’s Law was named in honor of 18-month-old Reese Hamsmith who passed away in December 2020 after swallowing a button battery.

Click here to read The Toy Association’s official statement on button cell batteries.