[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 79488-79489]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22063]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 1250

[CPSC Docket No. CPSC-2024-0023]


Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Safety Standard for Toys: 
Requirements for Toys Containing Button Cell or Coin Cell Batteries; 
Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On August 13, 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
(CPSC) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPR) to address the risks of death and injury associated 
with children ingesting button cell or coin cell batteries obtained 
from toys by adding performance and labeling requirements for battery-
operated toys containing such batteries. The NPR invited the public to 
submit written comments during a 60-day comment period ending on 
October 15, 2024. Due to delay in releasing incident data supporting 
the NPR, the Commission is extending the comment period for this NPR by 
30 days.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published, August 13, 
2024, at 89 FR 65791, is extended. Submit comments by November 14, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC-2024-0023, by 
any of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. CPSC typically does not accept 
comments submitted by email, except through www.regulations.gov. CPSC 
encourages you to submit electronic comments by using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal, as described above.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier/Confidential Written Submissions: Submit 
comments by mail, hand delivery, or courier to: Office of the 
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, 
Bethesda, MD 20814; (301) 504-7479. If you wish to submit confidential 
business information, trade secret information, or other sensitive or 
protected information that you do not want to be available to the 
public, you may submit such comments by mail, hand delivery, or 
courier, or you may email them to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c0a3b0b3a3edafb380a3b0b3a3eea7afb6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7c1f0c0f1f51130f3c1f0c0f1f521b130a">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number. CPSC may post all comments without change, including any 
personal identifiers, contact information, or other personal 
information provided, to https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit 
through this website: Confidential business information, trade secret 
information, or other sensitive or protected information that you do 
not want to be available to the public. If you wish to submit such 
information, please submit it according to the instructions for mail/
hand delivery/courier/confidential written submissions.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to: https://www.regulations.gov, and insert the 
docket number, CPSC-2024-0023, into the ``Search'' box, and follow the 
prompts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Mordecai, Project Manager, 
Division of Mechanical Engineering, Directorate for Laboratory 
Sciences, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 5 Research Place, 
Rockville, MD 20850; Telephone 301-987-2506; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dcbeb1b3aeb8b9bfbdb59cbfacafbff2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="47252a2835232224262e072437342469202831">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Pursuant to section 106 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement 
Act of 2008 (15 U.S.C. 2056b(a)), the Commission is required to 
promulgate toy safety standards that are more stringent than the 
applicable voluntary standard--ASTM F963, Standard Consumer Safety 
Specification for Toy Safety--if the Commission determines that more 
stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury 
associated with the product, as well as to periodically review and 
revise the rules set forth under section 106 to ensure that such rules 
provide the highest level of safety for such products that is feasible. 
15 U.S.C. 2056b(c) and (d).
    Accordingly, on August 13, 2024, the Commission published an NPR in 
the Federal Register proposing to establish a safety standard for toys 
containing button cell or coin cell batteries by amending the 
requirements in part 1250 specific to battery compartments for

[[Page 79489]]

toys containing button cell or coin cell batteries. The amendments 
would align the requirements more closely with the Commission's new 
rule for consumer products containing button cell or coin batteries, 
codified at part 1263, and provide the highest level of safety that is 
feasible (89 FR 65791). In the August 13 notice, the Commission 
provided a 60-day comment period closing on October 15, 2024.

B. Comment Period Extension

    Section III.D of the NPR states that CPSC would make available for 
review and comment, to the extent allowed by applicable law, the 
underlying incident data associated with the proposed rule. This data 
was to be made available upon publication of the NPR in the Federal 
Register on August 13, 2024. However, release of the underlying data 
was delayed until September 10, 2024. The Commission therefore is 
extending the comment period by 30 days, until November 14, 2024, so 
that the public has ample time to review and comment on the data.

Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2024-22063 Filed 9-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P


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