[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 25848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12881]
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Commission Agenda and Priorities; Public Hearing
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
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SUMMARY: The Commission will conduct a public hearing to receive views
from all interested parties about its agenda and priorities for
Commission attention during fiscal year 1998, which begins October 1,
1997. Participation by members of the public is invited. Written
comments and oral presentations concerning the Commission's agenda and
priorities for fiscal year 1998 will become part of the public record.
DATES: The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on June 25, 1996. Written
comments and requests from members of the public desiring to make oral
presentations must be received by the Office of the Secretary not later
than June 18, 1996. Persons desiring to make oral presentations at this
hearing must submit a written text of their presentations not later
than June 18, 1996.
ADDRESSES: The hearing will be in room 420 of the East-West Towers
Building, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. Written comments,
requests to make oral presentations, and texts of oral presentations
should be captioned ``Agenda and Priorities'' and mailed to the Office
of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C.
20207, or delivered to that office, room 502, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, Maryland.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the hearing or
to request an opportunity to make an oral presentation, call or write
Rockelle Hammond, Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone (301) 504-0800; telefax
(301) 504-0127.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 4(j) of the Consumer Product Safety
Act (CPSA) (15 U.S.C. 2053(j)) requires the Commission to establish an
agenda for action under the laws it administers, and, to the extent
feasible, to select priorities for action at least 30 days before the
beginning of each fiscal year. Section 4(j) of the CPSA provides
further that before establishing its agenda and priorities, the
Commission shall conduct a public hearing and provide an opportunity
for the submission of comments.
The Office of Management and Budget requires all Federal agencies
to submit their budget requests 13 months before the beginning of each
fiscal year. The Commission is formulating its budget request for
fiscal year 1998, which begins on October 1, 1997.
Accordingly, the Commission will conduct a public hearing on June
25, 1996, to receive comments from the public concerning its agenda and
priorities for fiscal year 1998. The Commissioners desire to obtain the
views of a wide range of interested persons including consumers;
manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of consumer
products; members of the academic community; consumer advocates; and
health and safety officers of state and local governments.
The Commission is charged by Congress with protecting the public
from unreasonable risks of injury associated with consumer products.
The Commission enforces and administers the Consumer Product Safety Act
(15 U.S.C. 2051 et seq.); the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (15
U.S.C. 1261 et seq.); the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1191 et
seq.); the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (15 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.);
and the Refrigerator Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.). Standards and
regulations issued under provisions of those statutes are codified in
the Code of Federal Regulations, title 16, chapter II.
While the Commission has broad jurisdiction over products used by
consumers in or around their homes, in schools, in recreation, and
other settings, its staff and budget are limited. Section 4(j) of the
CPSA expresses Congressional direction to the Commission to establish
an agenda for action each fiscal year and, if feasible, to select from
that agenda some of those projects for priority attention.
When the Commission selects priorities, it does so in accordance
with its policy statement governing establishment of priorities
codified at 16 CFR 1009.8. That policy statement includes the following
factors to be considered by the Commission when selecting its
priorities:
Frequency and severity of injuries.
Causality of injuries.
Chronic illness and future injuries.
Costs and benefits of Commission action.
Unforeseen nature of a risk of injury.
Vulnerability of the population at risk.
Probability of exposure to hazard.
The order of listing of these criteria does not indicate their
relative importance.
Persons who desire to make oral presentations at the hearing on
June 25, 1996, should call or write Rockelle Hammond, Office of the
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207,
telephone (301) 504-0800, telefax (301) 504-0127, not later than June
18, 1996.
Presentations should be limited to approximately ten minutes.
Persons desiring to make presentations must submit the written text of
their presentations to the Office of the Secretary not later than June
18, 1996. The Commission reserves the right to impose further time
limitations on all presentations and further restrictions to avoid
duplication of presentations. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on June
25, 1996, and will conclude the same day.
Written comments on the Commission's agenda and priorities for
fiscal year 1998, should be received in the Office of the Secretary not
later than June 18, 1996.
Dated: May 17, 1996.
Sadye E. Dunn,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 96-12881 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P
