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Regulatory Compliance, Furniture Stability, AHFA, Product Safety

CPSC Commissioner Will Address Summit Attendees

Peter Feldman, a commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission since October 2018, will keynote the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) Regulatory Summit August 7-8. The event will be held at The Conference Center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, North Carolina.

AHFA’s Summit is the industry’s only educational event addressing regulatory and legislative issues that impact the home furnishings industry. With companies facing newly implemented and soon-to-be-implemented product safety and environmental regulations, AHFA has designated 2024 as the year of Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road.

In keeping with the 2024 compliance theme, Feldman has been asked to address steps the CPSC is taking to enforce the new federal stability standard for clothing storage furniture that applies to all units with a manufacture date of September 2023 or later.

In October 2022, Feldman was the only commissioner to vote against the commission’s decision to adopt its own stability rule. The Senate had already passed the STURDY Act unanimously, and Feldman argued the commission should “pause to see the outcome of that effort.” Instead, it forged ahead, resulting in legal action initiated by AHFA to delay implementation of the onerous rule. Shortly thereafter, STURDY was enacted into law, leading to “significant confusion, costly litigation and wasted Commission resources, all of which we could have avoided,” Feldman maintained in his April 2023 statement upon the commission’s adoption of ASTM F2057-23, thus replacing its own rule.

Feldman joined the commission in 2018 after Joseph Mohorovic resigned his seat one year before the completion of his term. After completing Mohorovic’s term, Feldman was renominated and confirmed to a seven-year term expiring in October 2026. Prior to joining the commission, Feldman served as senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Additional compliance-focused sessions on the 2024 Summit agenda include a case history on navigating a CPSC compliance audit; a review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment for formaldehyde and its future impact on exposure limits; and a refresher course on

California Prop 65 compliance. Filling the August 8 agenda are an update on new online labeling laws and a deep dive into PFAS reporting requirements and the future impact of this data on the home furnishings industry.

Building on last year’s successful break-out sessions, the Summit program also includes opportunities for a focused look at several key topics, among them the status of revisions to the ASTM tip restraint standard, an update on the proposed new ASTM recliner safety standard and an overview of how environmental regulations are impacting packaging.

Summit registration includes a light breakfast and lunch both days, plus the cocktail reception with Commissioner Feldman on Wednesday, August 7. For those requiring overnight accommodations, a discounted group rate is available at the Springhill Suites by Marriott/Greensboro Airport. Registration is $225 for AHFA members; $1,225 for non-members.