President Bush has signed sweeping product reform legislation that will overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The House and Senate overwhelmingly approved the bi-partisan Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 late last month.

Consumer groups are already describing the measure as the most significant improvements to the Consumer Product Safety Commission since it was established in the 1970’s. The law requires that toys and infant products be tested before they’re put on store shelves, bans lead and phthalates in toys and creates the first comprehensive publicly accessible consumer complaint database.

It’s a long overdue reform, mandating many common sense toy safety checks. In the past few years, I’ve heard from many parents who were shocked by repeated recalls of toys that exceeded safe lead limits. Now, the protections most of them assumed were already in place will become law and save some parents the agony of having a child injured or killed by a toxic or unsafe toy.

The best part of the law is its impact on imports. Until now, imported toys were held to a lower safety standard than domestic products. But the law changes that: It requires toy manufactures in countries like China to adhere to the same safety regulations that American and European toys makers have followed for decades.

In years as a consumer reporter, I’ve chased down many hazardous toy stories. There were toxic Easter egg coloring kits, robotic action figures covered in lead paint, Halloween masks so poorly designed they could suffocate a child. But there’s more–from infant toys that that could shatter and create choking hazards to flammable play string in cans.

All these stories had something in common. They involved products manufactured abroad. The climax came in 2007 when 45 million toys imported from China were removed from store shelves because of alarming lead levels.

I’m not suggesting that only Americans can make safe toys. But I am pointing out a simple reality. Toys made in the USA have historically met tougher safety standards, giving reassurance parents and a better bottom line for manufacturers.

Parents should be able to buy toys for their children without fears of toxins or safety hazards. Eventually, perhaps, they will, especially now that the new law is in place. But it won’t change overnight.

Consider this: According to a report from the Consumer Federation of America, the number of recalls of toys and children’s products is up 22 percent for the first half of 2008 over the same period a year ago. Part of that increase can be attributed to added vigilance in the aftermath of the massive recalls last year. But not all of it.

There is still a very real possibility that potentially dangerous toys are being sold. As for the new law, some provisions will take effect within months. Others, however, may take years to implement. For example, a database that will enable people to search for injury or illness reports on products is expected to take two years to put together.

During the next six years, the annual budget for the Consumer Product Safety Commission will gradually increase, reaching $136 million by 2014. And the Toy Industry Association, a group that represents more than 500 manufacturers and toy importers, is already working on a Toy Safety Certification Program to verify products conform to the new law.

So the new safety regulations are a step in the right direction. But my advice about toys remains the same. Make sure every toy you buy conforms to the most stringent American standards. And never forget that you are the ultimate safety net for your kids. Don’t leave the safety of your children in anyone else’s hands, not even the government or manufacturers.

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