Reese's Law (H.R. 5313)

Summary

Creates safety rules for products with button or coin batteries, requiring child-resistant compartments and warning labels to prevent accidental swallowing.

What problem does this solve?

Small, powerful button batteries are easily swallowed by young children, causing serious internal injuries or death. This law requires secure battery compartments and clear warning labels to keep these batteries away from children.

What does this law do?

New safety standard for products with button batteries

Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create a mandatory safety standard within one year for consumer products containing button or coin batteries.

Child-resistant battery compartments

Requires that battery compartments on these products be secured to prevent children aged 6 or younger from accessing the batteries.

Mandatory warning labels

Requires clear warning labels on product packaging, instruction manuals, and the products themselves about the danger of swallowing batteries.

Child-resistant packaging for batteries

Mandates that button or coin batteries sold separately must be in child-resistant packaging within 180 days of the law's passage.

Exemptions for certain products

Exempts toy products that already comply with existing federal toy safety standards for batteries, and batteries that meet specific ANSI safety standards.

Allows use of voluntary standards

Permits the CPSC to adopt an existing voluntary industry standard instead of creating a new one, if it provides equivalent safety and is in effect promptly.

Who does this affect?

Children
Parents and caregivers
Manufacturers and importers of consumer products

What is the real world impact?

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Prevents child injuries and deaths

Named after a child who died from ingesting a button battery, this law aims to prevent similar tragedies by making products with these batteries safer for households with young children.

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Standardizes safety requirements

Creates a single federal standard for all consumer products using button or coin batteries, replacing a patchwork of voluntary rules and ensuring all manufacturers meet the same minimum safety level.

When does this start?

The new safety standards apply to products manufactured or imported after the rules officially take effect, with several specific deadlines for implementation.

Child-resistant packaging for batteries

Within 180 days of the law's enactment, all button or coin batteries sold separately must be in child-resistant packaging.

Final safety standard for products

The Consumer Product Safety Commission must issue its final safety standard for products containing button batteries no later than one year after the law is enacted.