ALEXANDRIA, Va. —The House of Representatives today passed legislation that would establish legal standards for carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and encourage use of the devices. The bill has been heavily supported by the Security Industry Association (SIA) and other organizations.
The “Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act” (H.R. 1796) from Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to publish standards for CO detectors and would prohibit the distribution of any detector that does not meet those standards. In addition, it would create a grant program to help state and local governments promote the use of CO detectors and authorize $10 million over the next five years for the program.
SIA worked with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) to advocate for the bill. In March, the three organizations wrote a letter to lawmakers to express support for the legislation’s intent “to protect against the deadly assassin known as carbon monoxide.”
“We are very pleased by today’s House vote, and we thank Congressman Matheson for his leadership on this issue,” says SIA Director of Government Relations Don Erickson. “Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States, and this bill will expand the use of life-saving detectors and ensure that the devices that millions of people rely upon meet high standards for quality and reliability.”
The bill now goes to the Senate. A related bill introduced in that chamber in June 2009 has not been acted upon.
