S-1557.2  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5688

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Kohl‑Welles, Snyder, Long, Winsley, Prentice, Thibaudeau, Hargrove, B. Sheldon, McAuliffe and Oke)

READ FIRST TIME 02/28/2001.

Requiring the department of health to publicize a list of recalled infant and child products.

    AN ACT Relating to recalled infant and child products; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislature finds that infants and children in Washington are injured, sometimes fatally, by unsafe consumer products designed for use by infants and children.

    (2) The legislature finds that parents and other persons responsible for the care of infants and children are often unaware that some of these consumer products have been recalled or are unsafe.

    (3) The legislature intends to address this lack of awareness by establishing a statewide infant and children product safety campaign across Washington state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The legislature authorizes the secretary to establish and maintain a product safety education campaign to promote greater awareness of products designed to be used by infants and children, excluding toys, that:

    (a) Are recalled by the United States consumer products safety commission;

    (b) Do not meet federal safety regulations and voluntary safety standards; or

    (c) Are unsafe or illegal to place into the stream of commerce under the infant crib safety act, chapter 70.111 RCW.

    (2) The department shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that this infant and children product safety education campaign reaches the target population.  The target population for this campaign includes, but is not limited to, parents, foster parents and other caregivers, child care providers, consignment and resale stores selling infant and child products, and charitable and governmental entities serving infants, children, and families.

    (3) The secretary may utilize a combination of methods to achieve this outreach and education goal, including but not limited to print and electronic media. The secretary may operate the campaign or may  contract with a vendor.

    (4) The department shall coordinate this infant and children product safety education campaign with child-serving entities including, but not limited to, hospitals, birthing centers, midwives, pediatricians, obstetricians, family practice physicians, governmental and private entities serving infants, children, and families, and relevant manufacturers.

    (5) The department shall coordinate with other agencies and entities to eliminate duplication of effort in disseminating infant and children consumer product safety information.

    (6) The department may receive funding for this infant and children product safety education effort from federal, state, and local governmental entities, child-serving foundations, or other private sources.

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