Bill Text: NJ A476 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Chloe and Samantha's Law; requires notice to consumers of availability of products to prevent tip-over accidents involving certain furniture or televisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee [A476 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A476-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman NELSON T. ALBANO
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman MATTHEW W. MILAM
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman RUBEN J. RAMOS, JR.
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Diegnan and Assemblywoman Tucker
SYNOPSIS
Chloe and Samantha's Law; requires notice to consumers of availability of products to prevent tip-over accidents involving certain furniture or televisions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning the sale or rental of certain consumer products and supplementing Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any manufacturer of any of the of the products specified in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this section shall provide written notice to consumers along with, or as part of, the product's packaging regarding the existence of separately available devices designed to anchor, stabilize, or otherwise reduce or prevent the product from tipping and causing accidental injury, disability, or death, particularly with respect to young children:
(1) any dresser, bookcase, bureau, armoire, or similar furniture designed to store, display, or otherwise place items, that is 42 inches or more in height;
(2) any television with a display screen that is 25 inches or more in length; and
(3) any television stand.
b. The manufacturer providing the notice shall not be required to manufacture, offer, sell, or otherwise supply any device described in the notice.
c. A person who violates any provision of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $250 for a first violation and not more than $500 for each subsequent violation. The penalty shall be collected in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
d. The Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, in the Department of Law and Public Safety, shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to effectuate the purposes of this section.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill designated Chloe and Samantha's Law, requires written notice to consumers of the availability of products designed to prevent certain furniture, televisions, or television stands from tipping over and causing accidents.
Nationally, each year thousands of persons, primarily young children, are accidentally injured because of large furniture or television tip-over accidents, and in a small percentage of tip-over accidents, death occurs. One such accidental death resulted from a December 17, 2006 incident in Vineland, New Jersey, when a 27-inch television fell on top of an 18-month-old girl, Chloe Keiser. Another victim, 35-month-old Samantha Ventresca of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, died May 9, 2007, when a similarly large television struck her after falling off a bureau which had tipped over.
In an effort to help prevent large furniture and television tip-over accidents, the bill requires that consumers receive written notice concerning the existence of separately available devices designed to anchor, stabilize, or otherwise prevent large furniture or televisions from tipping. Under the bill, the manufacturer must provide the written notice along with, or as part of, the product's packaging for of any of the following products:
(1) any dresser, bookcase, bureau, armoire, or similar furniture designed to store, display, or otherwise place items, that is 42 inches or more in height;
(2) any television with a display screen that is 25 inches or more in length; or
(3) any television stand.
The bill specifies that a person who violates any of its provisions is subject to a civil penalty of up to $250 for a first offense or up to $500 for each subsequent offense, collected pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999."
