Created in 1972, it oversees some 15,000 product types from cribs to fireworks. Most recalls are negotiated rather than litigated, and its SaferProducts database lets buyers check a product's record before purchase.
Open the interactive page for CPSC →Created byConsumer Product Safety Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-573)
Head appointed15 U.S.C. § 2053(a)-(c): President appoints 5 commissioners, Senate consent, 7-yr terms, max 3 from one party; the Chairman is separately appointed by the President, with Senate advice and consent, from among the members (PAS)
Removal standardfor cause: 'any member of the Commission may be removed by the President for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office but for no other cause' (15 U.S.C. § 2053(a)); enforcement stayed by SCOTUS pending the Slaughter ruling (Trump v. Boyle, 2025)
Funded underFinancial Services and General Government appropriations act — straight appropriation, no fees
Congressional oversightHouse Energy and Commerce · Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Inspector generalown OIG (designated federal entity under IG Act — IG appointed by the agency head)
Judicial reviewConsumer product safety rules reviewed in courts of appeals, 15 U.S.C. § 2060; private damages action for knowing violations, 15 U.S.C. § 2072; citizen suits to enforce rules and orders, 15 U.S.C. § 2073
Report unsafe products at SaferProducts.gov, where reports are public; petition for a safety standard; comment on proposed rules.
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