U.S. Senator John Thune joined several colleagues in the U.S. Senate in encouraging the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exclude off-highway motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Last year, Congress passed this measure in response to toys made in China failing to meet lead content standards. However, the legislation did not create a different category for products that use lead in items such as battery terminals and tire valve stems. As a result, there has been a great deal of concern that the CPSC could ban a number of products that Congress never intended to be covered, such as motorcycles, ATVs, and snowmobiles which may result in young riders using adult sized machines that could increase risks to the rider.

"Keeping children safe has to be our number one priority as we address this issue," said Thune. "However, in an effort to keep children away from products carrying higher levels of lead, we have inadvertently created a problem that is potentially more dangerous for young people."

The rules in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act were designed to protect very small children from toys that may result in poisoning after children were made sick -- not banning the sale of youth motorcycles and ATVs. The letter urges the CPSC to use its authority to expedite consideration of petitions to exclude these types of vehicles and grant a waiver consistent with other exemptions the CPSC has issued for other products.

Senator Thune was joined in sending this letter by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Mark Begich (D-AK), Bob Bennett (R-UT), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Jon Tester (D-MT).