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Gov. Gregoire creates safe toys advisory committee

For Immediate Release: June 3, 2008

Group will convene today in Tacoma

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the formation of the Children�s Safe Products Act Advisory Committee. The 15-member committee conducts its first meeting today in Tacoma.

�I am committed to implementing the new law in ways that protect our kids and support good companies,� Gregoire said.

The governor pledged to convene the advisory committee when she signed landmark legislation (House Bill 2647) in early April to protect children from unsafe toys and other children�s products.

The advisory committee is composed of children�s medical and behavioral experts, toy retailers and manufacturers, public interest groups, legislators and one representative each from the Washington departments of Ecology and Health. The group is charged with helping to develop additional legislation for the governor to pursue during the 2009 legislative session.

As a part of these responsibilities, Gregoire asked the group to make top priorities of:

  • Working with the Department of Ecology on its administrative rules to clarify that the act does not apply to internal electronic components, such as chip boards and wiring, which are not accessible to children;


  • Reviewing the effect of the act on children�s car seats, and identifying any legislation necessary to make sure Washington continues to have safe car seats; and


  • Determining how best to apply the new chemical standards to product development, manufacturing, testing and distribution.


  • The committee will present its final recommendations to the governor in December. With input from the advisory committee, the governor intends to introduce legislation for the 2009 session to clarify and fine tune the bill.

    The Department of Ecology has initiated the rule-making process to make it clear that the act does not apply to internal electronic components that are not accessible when used as intended in children�s products. It will present its draft rule language at today�s meeting.

    Members of the group are:

    Children�s Medical Experts

    Dr. Barry Lawson

    Dr. Sheela Sathyana

    Children�s Behavioral Expert

    Dr. Thomas Burbacher

    Small Toy Manufacturer

    Bob Knight, Find It Games

    Large Toy Manufacturer

    Arthur Kazianis, Hasbro

    Toy Retailers

    Jennifer Spall, Wal-Mart

    Valla Wagner or Melissa Tennille, Teaching Toys and Books

    Public Interest Groups

    Laurie Valeriano, Washington Toxics Coalition

    Elizabeth Davis, League of Women Voters

    State Agencies

    Carol Kraege, Department of Ecology

    Denise LaFlamme, Department of Health

    House of Representatives

    Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle

    Larry Haler, R-Richland

    Senate

    Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma

    TBA (Republican)

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