Good afternoon, and welcome to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s annual public hearing on the agency’s agenda and priorities for the next two fiscal years.

Every year, Congress requires us to pause, to look outward, and to ask those we serve — consumers, advocates, industry, and our safety partners — what they believe the Commission’s priorities should be. It is a healthy exercise, one rooted in the very DNA of this agency, because it ensures that our agenda is not built a bubble, but in conversation with the American people.

This year, the Commission received more written testimony than the previous three years, and double what we received in 2022. This testimony has not just been read, it has been studied, and in fact, it has already shaped the Commission’s actions. Much of it came in as early as April, and rather than allowing it to sit idle, this Commission has already responded to that input with decisive action and turned it into real results that benefit American consumers and their families.

For example, families told us in heartbreaking terms of injuries and deaths linked to water beads. Last week, we finalized the nation’s first-ever federal safety standard for this product category. It is historic, and it is directly responsive to the testimony we received.

From other submissions we were reminded, again, that drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages one to four. We chose to act, securing the largest above-ground pool recall in CPSC history — more than five million units — addressing hazards that had been allowed to persist for far too long. We also issued a mandatory standard for infant neck floats, a product category that has been linked to multiple fatalities and near-fatal drowning incidents.

Commenters pressed us to confront the rising fire risks from batteries used in micromobility products. The Commission has been aware of the risks from lithium-ion batteries for more than a decade, but until last week, had not lawfully advanced a mandatory safety standard. Under current leadership, we have advanced a proposed rule on micromobility batteries to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for interagency review — an important step forward in addressing this hazard.

In each of these areas, the pattern is clear: testimony was received, hazards were identified, and this Commission acted.

But to understand where we are today, we must acknowledge the people who brought us here. 2025 has been an extraordinarily productive year for the Commission so far, and for that I want to thank the staff across the country who have dedicated themselves to identifying, preventing, and addressing product hazards. It’s work they have every right to be proud of, and they deserve the recognition and gratitude that so many of our commenters expressed in their testimony.

I also want to note that last week, Commissioner Doug Dziak concluded his service with the Commission. Doug is more than a colleague — he is a friend, and a partner with whom I have had the honor of serving for many years.

Doug leaves this agency stronger than he found it. His legacy is one of decisive action and measurable results. He led the charge on saving young lives every summer through the recall of pools I mentioned. His work on the neck float standard will no doubt mean children are safer in water, whether it be in pools or bathtubs.

Never forgetting the most vulnerable, Doug also made senior safety a priority and did more for that issue than any other commissioner in recent memory. His leadership ensured the establishment of a mandatory safety standard for adult portable bedrails, and the recall of dangerous models that posed unacceptable risks to older Americans – the largest such recall in agency history.

Doug also helped steer this agency through a period of profound modernization. He played a key role in our landmark lawsuit against Amazon, which for the first time held that e-commerce platforms are treated as “distributors” under the Consumer Product Safety Act. He pressed for accountability from foreign-owned platforms like Shein and Temu, insisting that global competitors face the same obligations as U.S. companies. And through it all, Doug championed efficiency, accountability, and a results-driven ethic that has left the Commission better prepared for the challenges ahead.

I am deeply grateful for his service — to the Commission, to the public, and to me personally.

Even as leadership changes, continuity of operations remains paramount. Earlier this month, the Commission adopted delegations of authority to ensure that our work continues without disruption. Enforcement, regulatory, and administrative functions remain intact. Our relationship with the Department of Justice is strong, and we remain fully empowered to hold bad actors accountable. The American public should know: CPSC will not pause in its mission to protect American families.

We are also charting a course correction in how we regulate. In August, the Commission withdrew several costly, outdated, or ideologically driven rulemakings that did not meaningfully advance safety. These included a table saw proposal that risked creating a government-sanctioned monopoly, debris penetration and off-highway vehicle rules that were redundant of voluntary standards, and misguided attempts to regulate consumer choice in areas far afield of product safety. Those rules are gone. Instead, we are focusing resources on hazards where the evidence shows federal intervention can truly save lives.

This approach is paired with a renewed commitment to accountability. For the first time in the agency’s history, we are working through OIRA to ensure interagency review of our most significant rulemakings. That means our standards are not only strong, but also legally durable and coordinated across government. This strengthens rules — it does not delay them.

Of course, none of this can be separated from the fiscal reality we face. The President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2026 showed a strong commitment to the safety mission of CPSC. The proposal set funding for CPSC’s core functions at $135 million. The House appropriations bill would raise that to $137.5 million, plus another $4.5 million in dedicated support for grants under the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act and the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act.

Regardless of the final figure, this Commission remains one of the smallest of the historically-independent agencies, with an enormous mandate that touches virtually every household in America. We are lean by our nature, and there is nothing new about the need for us to seek efficiency and to differentiate between what would be nice to have, and what we need to do. As always, we must prioritize, we must act strategically, and we must keep our core safety mission at the center of what we do.

In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to study the testimony received for this hearing. It covers a wide range of issues — from drowning prevention to online marketplace accountability to the modernization of injury surveillance. Each submission is valuable. Each submission deserves attention. And each will help shape the Commission’s work for the coming years.

Taken together, the Commission’s recent actions reflect a clear direction: restoring focus, advancing lifesaving protections, and ensuring continuity of safety operations even in the face of leadership transitions and fiscal constraints.

I want to close by thanking every stakeholder who took the time to submit testimony. Like I said, your voices are not just heard — they are already reflected in our work. This hearing is not an exercise in symbolism. It is a step in the process of making our nation’s products safer, our children’s futures brighter, and our Commission stronger.

With that, I look forward to discussing the path ahead for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
We are joined today by CPSC’s Executive Director, Brien Lorenze, who will provide a public briefing on the proposed agenda and priorities. Brien and his staff have played a key role in synthesizing the themes and recommendations from stakeholders, and his overview will help guide our discussion of where the Commission should focus its attention in the coming years.

We are also joined by our General Counsel, Matt Campbell, who serves as the Commission’s chief legal officer. Under his leadership, the Office of General Counsel has played a pivotal role in strengthening our litigation posture and ensuring our rules are built to last. He is here today to help keep these proceedings consistent with the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Government in the Sunshine Act, and the highest standards of accountability.

I appreciate them being here today and will now recognize our executive director for his presentation. Brien, you may proceed.