S. 4884 would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to study and report to the Congress on how the COVID–19 pandemic has affected the severity or frequency of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products used by families in the home. During the pandemic, injuries such as poisonings due to chemicals in cleaning supplies could increase as people use more of those supplies and spend more time at home. The reports would be required every three months, through the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) period. The bill also would direct CPSC to assess its operations and enforcement actions during the PHE, coordinate with public media outlets to distribute information to improve home safety, and recommend improvements to the Commission's PHE response capacity.
Based on information from CPSC, CBO projects that about two full-time equivalent positions would be required to produce and disseminate the required reports. CBO estimates that implementing S. 4884 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2021-2025 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
