Advocates from national consumer groups today will urge the Federal Reserve Board to close loopholes in its proposed rules to prohibit credit card companies from using new tricks and traps to get around the protections of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosures Act (Credit CARD Act).

Today, the Senate Small Business, Emergency Preparedness, Technical Colleges, and Consumer Protection Committee held a public hearing on SB271, the BPA Free Kids Act, which would ban the sale and manufacture of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in Wisconsin.

Governor Schwarzenegger held a signing ceremony in Merced this morning to publicly approve a package of lending reforms aimed at preventing another foreclosure crisis.

Governor Schwarzenegger announced via press release the signature of a collection of mortgage reforms to curb abuses that created the mortgage crisis.

Statement by MASSPIRG Legislative Director Dierdre Cummings

Homeowners and consumers rights groups today lamented the state Legislature’s failure to pass legislation that would protect new homeowners from shoddy construction for the third year in a row.

“It’s a shame that it took a lawsuit to ensure protection for our smallest consumers and their families,” said Brian Imus, Director of Illinois PIRG, in response to the $12 million multi-state settlement announced today between 39 Attorneys General and Mattel, Inc., over lead-tainted toys.

Today, consumer, public interest and scientific groups applaud President Bush for signing product safety reform legislation into law that will overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Today, consumer, public interest and scientific groups applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing strong product safety reform legislation that would overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The number of recalls of toys and children’s products is up 22% over the first half of last year, despite industry promises last year to solve the problems that made 2007 the “year of the recall,” according to an analysis of Consumer Product Safety Commission data by the nation’s leading consumer groups. The groups urged Congress to complete a “strong CPSC Reform Act” before the August recess.

Today AB 2694, the nation’s toughest ban on lead in children’s products, passed out of the Assembly Health Committee and heads to the Assembly Floor.

Today, consumer, public interest and scientific groups applauded the U.S. Senate for passage of the sweeping Consumer Product Safety Reform Act, S. 2663. This bi-partisan legislation represents the most significant improvement in almost two decades to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the agency that oversees the safety of more than 15,000 consumer products in the United States.

Last week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Family Dollar Stores recalled the Gordy FUN 'N SAFE Magnetic Dart Board set...due to aspiration and intestinal hazards.

One year ago this week, U.S. PIRG and the Consumer Federation of America asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for information about at least 26 deaths and 75 injuries known to have occurred since 1980 due to stove tip-overs.

Today, consumer and scientific groups commended the House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and the Union of Concerned Scientists released the following statement: “We appreciate the hard work that has gone into crafting H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, and thank the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Leadership for their prompt action today. Our current product safety system is in dire need of comprehensive reform, and this bill represents the first concrete effort to help protect consumers while addressing industry concerns.