03/19/2008 01:45 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES

                  SJR 18-CHILD PRODUCT SAFETY                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DAVIS announced consideration of SJR 18.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:09:10 PM                                                                                                                    
KAT PUSTAY, staff to Senator Wielechowski, read the sponsor                                                                     
statement for SJR 18.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     SJR 18 calls on the United States Consumer Product                                                                         
     Safety Commission (CPSC) to test the materials used in                                                                     
     toys and children's products for hazardous chemicals                                                                       
     like lead. Over $15 billion worth of toys and                                                                              
     children's products were brought into the United                                                                           
     States in 2006. In 2007 almost $10 billion came in                                                                         
     from China alone. In 2007 over half the toy and child                                                                      
     product recalls were due to lead or chemical poisoning                                                                     
     hazards.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency                                                                       
     that was created in 1972 by the Consumer Product                                                                           
     Safety Act to protect the public against unreasonable                                                                      
     risks of injury and death associated with consumer                                                                         
     products. Currently the CPSC conducts tests only to                                                                        
     determine if a toy presents a choking, aspiration or                                                                       
     ingestion hazard, but relies on toy and child product                                                                      
     manufacturers to self-regulate the materials used (and                                                                     
     thus toxicity levels) in their products.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     In essence, the CPSC checks for choking hazards but                                                                        
     not the effects of sucking on a pacifier for many                                                                          
     hours a day. Children's bodies and brains are                                                                              
     developing and are more susceptible to the hazardous                                                                       
     impacts than adults' so we should do what we can to                                                                        
     limit their exposure.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     As many busy parents know, Alaskan parents rely on                                                                         
     regulatory agencies to help insure the safety of their                                                                     
     children and rely on the information they give; so we                                                                      
     ask that the Alaska State Legislature urge the CPSC to                                                                     
     increase safety testing on toys and children's                                                                             
     products.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
She added that, as Kristin Ryan from DEC [Director, Division of                                                                 
Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Conservation]                                                                 
said last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Consumer Product                                                                     
Modernization Act at the beginning of March, so this resolution                                                                 
would really support that legislation in Congress, saying that                                                                  
Alaskans want more protection for their kids.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:12:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COWDERY  moved to  report  SJR  18 from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.