Letter to Sessions: Catherine of Creative Learning Connection

January 19, 2009

Dear Senator Sessions,

I own a small store in Madison that serves the local homeschool community with new educational materials, used educational materials, and much more. In the current economy, we were already struggling to keep our business alive. And then, recently, we became aware of the CPSIA Legislation. At that point, we had 1 month in which to figure it out and figure out how to comply with it.

We have read the legislation, we have read the FAQ on their website, and their response to the publishing industry’s questions about exclusing book. The more we read, the more concerned we become.

We are hoping that you will be able to help us through this legislative maze.

In the first week of dealing with this we have come up with the following questions. There will probably be more:

1. Will the lead testing/certification rules apply to our current inventory? If so, what are we supposed to do with anything that we can’t certify? Much of our inventory was bought before this law was ever written.
2. Is it safe for us to sell our used books under the current clarification for resellers? The clarification says we don’t have to test, but that we can still be found liable for breaking the law.
3. We carry baby slings that have been hand-made by a local mother. She will not be able to certify that they are lead-free. Does that mean we can no longer sell them? (In fact, that she won’t be able to sell them either?)
4. Are we correct in determining that items that cannot be certified cannot even be given away after February 10th?
5. As a self-publisher of a number of books, am I right in figuring out that anything I write for children under 13 will no longer be able to be self-published? Again, I do not have the means to certify that these books are lead-free.
6. Maybe this question should have been first: exactly what determines that something is a “children’s product” under this law? For instance, which books that I carry will be covered by these requirements, and which will not? How am I supposed to determine this?

Thank you for your timely assistance with this problem. We realize that you have many pressing issues to deal with in Congress, but this has become one of the most pressing for us.

Sincerely,

Catherine Jaime

Creative Learning Connection

Blog: CLC and CPSIA