In light of the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that it will reduce its workforce by one-third and will focus on enforcement actions that protect the public from consumer products that pose an imminent threat. Click here to read the full version of this alert.
On August 27, 2025, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) held a virtual public meeting to preview its 2026–2027 agenda. Acting Commissioner Peter Feldman and Executive Director Brian Lorenze outlined a significant pivot in the agency’s approach to product hazard detection and prevention—centered on artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.
Continue Reading CPSC Signals Shift to AI-Driven Product Safety Oversight
On August 19, 2025, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Peter Feldman issued a statement on the continuity of CPSC operations in anticipation of the end of Commissioner Dziak’s holdover term, set to expire in October 2025. The statement, which outlined CPSC leadership’s plans with respect to the agency’s operations in the absence of a quorum, preceded Commissioner Dziak’s August 22, 2025 announcement of his anticipated departure from the agency.
Continue Reading CPSC Acting Chairman Feldman Issues Statement on Continuity of Operations Without a Quorum Days Before Commissioner Dziak Announces Anticipated Departure from the Agency
While it is impossible to know whether the eFiling requirements for certificates of compliance at the CPSC will go into effect as planned, companies should keep their eFiling implementation on track for the effective date of July 8, 2026. Click here to read the full version of this alert.
In May 2025, the Trump Administration, asserting Executive authority, terminated the three Democratic Commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. On June 13, 2025, a Maryland district court aborted the without-cause termination while a legal challenge proceeds, leaving the Commissioners in place. No longer.
Continue Reading Commission In Limbo: SCOTUS Decision Puts CPSC Democrats Back Out of Action
Register now to join Crowell & Moring partners Joanna Forster, Cheri Falvey, Clay Marquez, Meghan McMeel, Stefan Meisner, and counsel Shauneida Navarrete as they discuss significant legal changes in the first half of 2025 that impact retailers/e-commerce in the United States. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET.
Continue Reading Register Now! H2 2025: What Retailers/E-Commerce Need to Know Webinar
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been in the media this month following the reinstatement of the three democratic CPSC commissioners (i.e., Mary Boyle, Richard Trumka Jr., and Alexander Hoehn-Saric) by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. As discussed below, the democratic CPSC commissioners have advanced their majority agenda while their status and reinstatement winds its way through the court system. CPSC action remains strong on recall execution and the agency is soliciting information on several topics including their August priorities hearing, rulemaking and reducing regulatory burdens. Recall announcements for this month include those for: infant sleep products and highchairs, electric blankets, battery-powered tools and small appliances, pool covers and other equipment, and more.
Continue Reading CPSC Regulatory Updates (June 2025)
On June 16, 2025, the first-ever sentences were handed down in a criminal prosecution for failure to report under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Judge Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentenced two former Gree USA, Inc. (Gree USA) executives to 38 and 40 months in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and for failure to report information related to defective dehumidifiers under Section 15 of the CPSA.
Continue Reading Corporate Executives Are Sentenced in First-Ever Criminal Prosecution for Failure to Report Under the CPSA
Greetings from Orlando, FL! The Crowell product safety team is currently attending the annual meeting and training symposium of the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO). We just heard keynote remarks from the Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Alexander Hoehn-Saric, and wish to share some highlights. As he did in October 2023 at the ICPHSO International Conference in Sweden, Chair Hoehn-Saric focused his remarks on addressing products sold on or through online marketplaces.
Chair Hoehn-Saric first set the stage by sharing some important data points. In 2023, the CPSC announced more than 300 product recalls; levied more than $52 million in civil penalties; engaged in 14 new mandatory safety standard rulemakings; screened more than 60,000 harmful products at the ports; and participated in numerous safety education campaigns. He also noted the budget uncertainty at the CPSC and the need to “do more with less” and stated that the CPSC will always “put consumers first” as they prioritize their work should the CPSC budget decrease.
Continue Reading CPSC Chair Hoehn-Saric Addresses Annual Product Safety Conference
Companies take note: over the past month or so, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued four unilateral press releases instructing consumers to stop using a product. Since May of this year, that number rises to seven. If that number does not seem high, consider this: between 2011 and 2019—a nine-year period—the agency issued two. So, what exactly is a “unilateral press release” and what does the agency’s issuance of four over recent weeks mean for you?
Continue Reading CPSC Enforcement Trend: Unilateral Press Releases