Mary T. Boyle: New Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission | Husch Blackwell LLP | So Good News

At the CPSC, Ms. Boyle led a variety of initiatives to protect US consumers from hazardous and dangerous products, with an emphasis on the safety of infant sleep and strong magnetic fields. He primarily led efforts to force companies to issue mandatory recalls for products that pose a risk of exposure to strong magnetic fields.

Confirmation:

The Senate confirmed Ms. Boyle on June 22, 2022, by a majority vote along party lines. His term runs until October 2025, and this is the first time the Commission has had all five seats since 2019.

Ms. Boyle’s confirmation took place nearly a year before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation amid Republican concerns about her role in the CPSC’s unauthorized disclosures about companies and consumers in 2019. In addition, Republicans were concerned about her role in recruiting workers. employment at the CPSC for port inspection duties during the pandemic. This led President Biden to nominate Ms. Boyle twice, first in 2021, and then, in a second nomination in January 2022.

CPSC’s Top 3 Challenges:

Mrs. Boyle believes that the three problems that the organization is facing are: (1) Import and E-Commerce Regulation; (2) Encouraging Compliance and Compliance; and (3) Improving Data Analysis and Risk Identification.

Import and E-Commerce Regulation

Ms. Boyle says that the CPSC’s ability to identify and prevent the entry of dangerous substances into the US will be a major challenge for the agency. He describes the pre-pandemic and the pandemic strengthened consumer reliance on the Internet, which led to “a lot of cheap, inconsistent or dangerous foreign-made products” that were “sent directly to consumers.” Ms. Boyle says the problem requires a “multiple approach,” including voluntary control and, if necessary, forced recall through litigation.

Encouraging Compliance and Compliance

In line with efforts to prevent illegal products from entering the U.S. at ports and eCommerce hubs, the CPSC will be charged with implementing an enforcement program “to ensure that defective products that do not comply with regulations are removed from recall or other processing.”

Improving Data Analysis and Risk Identification

Ms. Boyle emphasizes that the amount of data the CPSC receives each year is a major limitation to the agency’s ability to “identify risks and dangerous practices,” and hinders the CPSC’s primary mission of protecting consumers from unnecessary risks of harm. He added that the CPSC will continue to face challenges in keeping up with technological advances. Fortunately, during Ms. Boyle’s tenure as Executive Director, she established and oversaw the organization’s efforts to identify risks by implementing a new online Fast-Track reporting system that she plans to continue to improve.

History:

Prior to joining the CPSC, Ms. Boyle worked extensively in government and non-governmental organizations. Ms. Boyle worked in the Office of Congressman Stephen J. Solarz (D-NY) in various capacities, including as an assistant to the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs. Ms. Boyle also served as Director of Grants and Affordable Housing Coordinator for the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland, developing affordable housing programs. In the private sector, Ms. Boyle worked at Paul Hastings LLP, where she focused on class action litigation. Finally, for ten years he served as the main guardian of his three children.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Georgetown University, and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is currently licensed to the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars.

It was written with the help of Talia Wolkowitz, a summer associate in the office of Husch Blackwell LLP St. Louis, Missouri.

[View source.]