HB5973 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 16681 RPM 31965 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB5973

Introduced 2/10/2010, by Rep. Careen M. Gordon

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

410 ILCS 45/6

from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1306

Amends the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. In the provision concerning warning statements, includes items that are intended to be placed in a child's mouth in the definition of "child care article". Provides that an entity is in compliance with the provision concerning warning statements for children's products if a warning statement is provided on a legible sign or shelf tag placed in close proximity to where the product is displayed. Provides that the warning statement is not required if any component part of the item containing lead is not accessible to a child through normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Lead Poisoning Prevention Act is amended by changing Section 6 as follows:

(410 ILCS 45/6) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 1306)

Sec. 6. Warning statement.

(a) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Children's jewelry" means jewelry that is made for, marketed for use by, or marketed to children under the age of 12 and includes jewelry that meets any of the following conditions:

(1) represented in its packaging, display, or advertising as appropriate for use by children under the age of 12;

(2) sold in conjunction with, attached to, or packaged together with other products that are packaged, displayed, or advertised as appropriate for use by children under 12;

(3) sized for children and not intended for use by adults; or

(4) sold in any of the following places: a vending machine; a retail store, catalogue, or online Web site in which a person exclusively offers for sale products that are packaged, displayed, or advertised as appropriate for use by children; or a discrete portion of a retail store, catalogue, or online Web site in which a person offers for sale products that are packaged, displayed or advertised as appropriate for use by children.

"Child care article" means an item that is intended to be placed in a child's mouth and is designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate the sleep, relaxation, or feeding of children under the age of 6 or to help with children under the age of 6 who are sucking or teething.

"Toy containing paint" means a painted toy designed for or intended for use by children under the age of 12 at play. In determining whether a toy containing paint is designed for or intended for use by children under the age of 12, the following factors shall be considered:

(i) a statement by a manufacturer about the intended use of the product, including a label on the product, if such statement is reasonable;

(ii) whether the product is represented in its packaging, display, promotion, or advertising as appropriate for children under the age of 12; and

(iii) whether the product is commonly recognized by consumers as being intended for use by a child under the age of 12.

(b) Children's products. Effective January 1, 2010, no person, firm, or corporation shall sell, have, offer for sale, or transfer the items listed in this Section that contain a total lead content in any component part of the item that is more than 0.004% (40 parts per million) but less than 0.06% (600 parts per million) by total weight or a lower standard for lead content as may be established by federal or State law or regulation unless that item bears a warning statement that indicates that at least one component part of the item contains lead.

The warning statement for items covered under this subsection (b) shall contain at least the following: "WARNING: CONTAINS LEAD. MAY BE HARMFUL IF EATEN OR CHEWED. MAY GENERATE DUST CONTAINING LEAD."

An entity is in compliance with this subsection (b) if the warning statement is provided on the children's product or on the label on the immediate container of the children's product or on a legible sign or shelf tag placed in close proximity to where the product is displayed such that consumers are likely to see the warning when it is examined under retail conditions. This subsection (b) does not apply to any product for which federal law governs warning in a manner that preempts State authority.

The warning statement required under this subsection (b) is not required if any component part of the item containing lead is not accessible to a child through normal and reasonably foreseeable use and abuse as defined by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.

(c) Other lead bearing substance. No person, firm, or corporation shall have, offer for sale, sell, or give away any lead bearing substance that may be used by the general public, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Section, unless it bears the warning statement as prescribed by federal regulation. If no regulation is prescribed the warning statement shall be as follows when the lead bearing substance is a lead-based paint or surface coating: "WARNING--CONTAINS LEAD. MAY BE HARMFUL IF EATEN OR CHEWED. See Other Cautions on (Side or Back) Panel. Do not apply on toys, or other children's articles, furniture, or interior, or exterior exposed surfaces of any residential building or facility that may be occupied or used by children. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.". If no regulation is prescribed the warning statement shall be as follows when the lead bearing substance contains lead-based paint or a form of lead other than lead-based paint: "WARNING CONTAINS LEAD. MAY BE HARMFUL IF EATEN OR CHEWED. MAY GENERATE DUST CONTAINING LEAD. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.".

For the purposes of this subsection (c), the generic term of a product, such as "paint" may be substituted for the word "substance" in the above labeling.

(d) The warning statements on items covered in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section shall be in accordance with, or substantially similar to, the following:

(1) the statement shall be located in a prominent place on the item or package or, for items covered under subsection (b) of this Section, on a legible sign or shelf tag placed in close proximity to where the item or package is displayed such that consumers are likely to see the statement when it is examined under retail conditions;

(2) the statement shall be conspicuous and not obscured by other written matter;

(3) the statement shall be legible; and

(4) the statement shall contrast with the typography, layout and color of the other printed matter.

Compliance with 16 C.F.R. 1500.121 adopted under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act constitutes compliance with this subsection (d).

(e) The manufacturer or importer of record shall be responsible for compliance with this Section.

(f) Subsection (c) of this Section does not apply to any component part of a consumer electronic product, including, but not limited to, personal computers, audio and video equipment, calculators, wireless phones, game consoles, and handheld devices incorporating a video screen used to access interactive software and their associated peripherals, that is not accessible to a child through normal and reasonably foreseeable use of the product. A component part is not accessible under this subsection (f) if the component part is not physically exposed by reason of a sealed covering or casing and does not become physically exposed through reasonably foreseeable use and abuse of the product. Paint, coatings, and electroplating, singularly or in any combination, are not sufficient to constitute a sealed covering or casing for purposes of this Section. Coatings and electroplating are sufficient to constitute a sealed covering for connectors, power cords, USB cables, or other similar devices or components used in consumer electronics products.

(Source: P.A. 94-879, eff. 6-20-06; 95-1019, eff. 6-1-09.)