President Biden signs 'Safe Sleep for Babies Act', will prohibit sale of crib bumper pads
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — On Monday, President Joe Biden signed into law the Safe Sleep for Babies Act.
The Act passed unanimously in the United States Senate on May 3 and passed the House on June 23, 2021.
The bill will prohibit the manufacture or sale of padded crib bumper pads and infant-inclined sleep products.
In a report from 'Kids in Danger', the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received 113 reported fatalities involving crib bumpers from January 1, 1990, through March 31, 2019.
"The Safe Sleep for Babies Act is now an incredibly important law that will save the lives of babies," Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel with Consumer Federation of America said. "We are deeply grateful for the tenacious advocacy of parents, pediatricians, other advocates, and the bill’s sponsors, Representative Cárdenas, Representative Schakowsky, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Duckworth, Senator Brown, and Senator Portman."
According to U.S. officials, dozens of children have died in incidents involving padded crib bumper pads.
"For decades, consumer, health, and parent groups have decried the sale of these dangerous products," Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger said. "We thank the families and organizations who have worked so hard to keep children safe and look forward to the end of these deadly products on store shelves and in our nurseries."
The organization also thanked the President for signing the bill into law. The new law makes it illegal to manufacture or sell both products 180 days after the Safe Sleep for Babies Act is enacted.
