by HIGH POINT – 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 units with a manufacture date of September 2023 or later.
In October 2022, Feldman was the only commissioner to vote against adoption of a stability rule drafted by CPSC staff that year. The Senate had already unanimously passed the STURDY Act, which recommended looking at ASTM International’s F2057-23 standard for the framework of the new mandatory standard required under STURDY. Feldman argued the commission should “pause to see the outcome of that effort.” Instead, the agency forged ahead and adopted its own rule, resulting in legal action initiated by AHFA to delay the rule’s implementation.
Shortly thereafter, STURDY was enacted into law. Had the commission held off just a few months, it could have avoided “significant confusion, costly litigation and wasted Commission resources,” Feldman maintained in an April 2023 statement upon the commission’s adoption of ASTM F2057-23 as the mandatory federal stability standard.
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. The program also includes 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 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 furniture packaging.
Summit registration includes a light breakfast and lunch both days, plus a cocktail reception with Commissioner Feldman sponsored by Benchmark International on Wednesday, August 7. For those requiring overnight accommodations, a discounted group rate is available at the Springhill Suites by Marriott/Greensboro Airport. Summit registration is $225 for AHFA members; $1,225 for non-members.
