Montgomery County, Maryland Issues Proclamation Congratulating and Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 25, 2022, the County Council of Montgomery County, Maryland issued a proclamation recognizing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on its upcoming 50th anniversary.  On October 27, 1972, the Consumer Product Safety Act was enacted into law and signed by President Richard M. Nixon. This landmark piece of legislation established CPSC, an independent federal regulatory agency that has jurisdiction over thousands of consumer products.  

Council President Gabe Albornoz issued the proclamation to CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric.   

“We want to thank President Albornoz and the County Council of Montgomery County for recognizing the work of CPSC and the more than 500 committed public servants in both our facilities and across the country who help us advance our mission of safety every day,” Chair Hoehn-Saric said. “We take pride in calling Montgomery County our home base and look forward to being here for the next half-century.”

President Albornoz, who also serves as chair of the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, recognized CPSC for its steadfast mission and the agency’s accomplishments over the past five decades. 

“I want to thank the employees and leadership – past and present – of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety for their tireless work to safeguard individuals and families across the nation,” Albornoz said. “Banning dangerous consumer products, establishing safety standards and educating consumers about the safe use of products supports the health and welfare of our community. We are fortunate to have such an important federal agency committed to serving the public good located in Montgomery County. Congratulations on your 50-year anniversary.”

In addition to President Albornoz and Council Member Tom Hucker (D-5), a former CPSC employee from 2009-2011, Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) and Karen Hendricks, a representative from the office of Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) were also in attendance to commemorate the occasion. 

“Ensuring our people have access to safe and reliable products is essential,” said Rep. Jaime Raskin. “For half a century, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has provided a bulwark against hazardous products and corporate malfeasance that keeps the American people safe. I’m honored to serve and advocate for the CPSC in Congress, and I commend the Montgomery County Council for celebrating CPSC’s crucial work.”  

“The American people have a right to expect that the products they buy are safe. And for 50 years, they have been able to count on the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide them with the information and warnings they need to protect their families and to keep products with hidden dangers off the store shelves,” said Senator Van Hollen, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, which funds the CPSC. “We salute the hardworking men and women at the CPSC, who serve as watchdogs for the public and work tirelessly from their headquarters in Maryland as they oversee the safety of billions of dollars’ worth of consumer goods. I will continue working in the Senate to support and fund their essential mission.” 

For 50 years, CPSC has worked to save lives and keep families safe, by addressing unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products through regulation and enforcement activities; and advancing public safety through seminal safety campaigns, including Baby Safety, Pool Safely, Anchor It! and others.

CPSC is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with a national product testing and evaluation facility located in Rockville, Maryland.  The agency’s mission of public safety is carried out by approximately 540 dedicated personnel located in Montgomery County, Maryland, across the United States and in Beijing, China.

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Montgomery County, Maryland Proclamation Video