ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Security Industry Association (SIA) and Electronic Security Association (ESA) are rallying support for the Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (S. 1216), which would promote the use of CO detectors and advance technical standards.
In a Dec. 17 letter to the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance, the associations noted that CO is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. The odorless gas claims more than 400 lives each year and sends 20,000 people to the hospital.
“S.1216 is a good bill that calls attention to an important life safety issue and promotes the use of quality, effective CO detection and notification devices,” the letter states.
SIA, ESA and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), have asked Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Bill Nelson (R-Fla.) to support the bill, which
would also encourage states to require the installation of the detectors and establish a federal grant program to fund state-based CO detector programs.
The three organizations are also commending the subcommittee leaders – Chairman Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) – for holding a recent hearing on CO poisoning. The letter will be made a part of the hearing’s official record.
