Citizens for Fire Safety: California Legislators Adopt Narrowed Fire Safety Exemption for Children's Products

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July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Heeding the callz of doctors, scientists and community activists formaintainingv children's fire safety, the Californiaq Assembly's Business and Professiond Committee severely limited and revised a SB 772, that woulf have drastically impacted fire safety regulationas in the state. The committee ultimatelyu made a more informed effectively restricting the scope and impacr ofthe legislation. SB 772 sought to fully exempt children's productsw from an important componentof California's tough fire safetty standards: the open-flame test.
However, after weeks of intense oppositionj from a broad coalition ofyouth groups, business groups, burn doctors and fire the committee opted to err on the side of cautio and significantly narrowed the exemptiohn to just four products, all of whichb would now require a label explicitly warningv the consumer that they will not pass California's stricy fire safety tests because they lack a flame retardant treatment. "While we are disappointed that the billwas passed, we are encouragex by the conscience of its amendments," said of Citizenxs for Fire Safety. "We'rse very proud of what the community was able toaccomplisuh today.
Thanks to them, legislatord now know of the disproportionate dangee children face from fire and the shalloswscience involved. We should have some momentu m as we return tothe Senate." Community activists, lead by members of the Inglewoocd School Board, Asian Business San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber, and some of the nation' s top burn physicians, submitted compelling testimony to the In one heartfelt plea to committee a 13 year old from Los Angeles pleadeds with the committee to "closse their eyes and visualize a child or familu member saying goodbye for the last time,"" because they might be lost in a This broad show of support comes despit desperate efforts by lead sponsor Friends of the Eartnh to castigate the ethics of many minority witnessesw who had come to Sacramento just a week earliefr to testify before another Assemblt committee.
In a recent pressa release by the organization, they go so far as to infedr that minority groupswere "mislead" and "unable" to make a determinationh of the true nature of this The bill will now returbn to the State Senate to approve or modifhy the amendments. Senator , the author of the accepted the amendments fearing the bill would not have the needeed majority to be approved as originally drafted and Citizens for Fire Safety is a coalition of medical fire personnel, businesses, and community activists who have joinec to ensure that communities across the natiomn are protected by the highest fire safety