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109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1861 

To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue regulations 

concerning the safety and labeling of certain furniture and electronic 

appliances. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2005 

Ms. SCHWARTZ of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. DAVIS

of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue 

regulations concerning the safety and labeling of certain 

furniture and electronic appliances. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Katie Elise and 

5 Meghan Agnes Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 victims are 

9 treated annually in hospital emergency rooms in the 
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1 United States for injuries associated with the tip 

2 over of furniture or appliances, and an average of 6 

3 deaths occur each year as a result. 

4 (2) The majority of these injuries and deaths 

5 are to children. 

6 (3) These injuries and deaths frequently occur 

7 when children climb onto, fall against, or pull them8 selves up on such items as shelves, bookcases, dress9 ers, bureaus, desks, chests, television stands, and 

10 television sets. 

11 (4) There are currently no mandatory safety 

12 standards in place for such items of furniture and 

13 electronic appliances. 

14 (5) The issuance of mandatory safety standards 

15 to warn and protect consumers of the dangers asso16 ciated with unsecured furniture and electronic appli17 ances would reduce the risk of injury or death. 

18 SEC. 3. FURNITURE AND APPLIANCE SAFETY AND LABEL19 ING STANDARDS. 

20 (a) APPLICABLE FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES.— 

21 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 

22 this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (in 

23 this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’) shall promul24 gate regulations pursuant to section 7 of the Consumer 

25 Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056) applicable to any 
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1 furniture or electronic appliance that the Commission de2 termines poses a substantial safety hazard due to tipping 

3 because of its design, height, weight, stability, or other 

4 features. 

5 (b) SAFETY STANDARDS.—The regulations pre6 scribed pursuant to subsection (a) shall, at a minimum, 

7 require— 

8 (1) all applicable furniture to withstand a rea9 sonable amount of pressure, as determined by the 

10 Commission, in both loaded and unloaded conditions, 

11 without tipping; and 

12 (2) the inclusion of angle-braces, anchors, or 

13 other anchoring devices, and instructions, including 

14 pictures, for securing furniture to wall beams using 

15 the provided angle-braces or anchors, in the pack16 aging of all furniture that does not meet the require17 ments of paragraph (1), or furniture or electronic 

18 appliances that, in the opinion of the Commission, 

19 could be made more secure by the inclusion of such 

20 braces and devices. 

21 SEC. 4. LABELING REQUIREMENTS. 

22 In addition to the safety standards promulgated pur23 suant to section 2, the Commission shall promulgate regu24 lations requiring the following related to warning labels: 
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1 (1) Warning labels shall be required on the 

2 packaging of any furniture or electronic appliance 

3 that the Commission determines poses a substantial 

4 safety hazard due to tipping because of its design, 

5 height, weight, stability, or other features. Such 

6 warning labels shall state, in a clear and conspicuous 

7 manner, that unsecured furniture may tip resulting 

8 in serious bodily injury or even death and shall ad9 vise securing the furniture to a wall beam or using 

10 angle-braces, as appropriate, to make the furniture 

11 more secure; and 

12 (2) Warning labels shall be required on the 

13 packaging of any furniture with drawers that the 

14 Commission determines poses a danger to children 

15 due to tipping. Such warning labels shall state, in a 

16 clear and conspicuous manner, that children may 

17 use drawers as steps causing furniture to tip result18 ing in serious bodily injury or even death, and shall 

19 advise installing locking devices on drawers to pre20 vent the drawers from being opened by children. 

21 SEC. 5. FACTORS. 

22 In prescribing the safety standards under this Act, 

23 the Commission shall take into consideration the intended 

24 uses of the furniture or electronic appliance and the likeli-
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1 hood that, due to the design of the furniture, children 

2 could climb on or tip the furniture. 

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