HIGH POINT — The commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Peter Feldman, is slated to keynote the American Home Furnishings Alliance , to be held at the conference center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, N.C., Aug. 7-8.
In 2024, with new product safety and environmental regulations on the horizon, the AHFA has designated it as a “Year of Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road.”
In line with the compliance theme, Feldman will discuss the CPSC’s enforcement of the new federal stability standard for clothing storage furniture manufactured from September 2023 onward.
Feldman was the only commissioner to vote against a 2022 stability rule by the CPSC staff. The Senate had unanimously passed the STURDY Act, recommending ASTM International’s F2057-23 standard for the new mandatory stability standard. Feldman suggested waiting for this outcome, but the CPSC went ahead with its own rule, leading to AHFA’s legal challenge to delay it.
STURDY was soon enacted into law, and Feldman noted that a brief delay could have prevented “significant confusion, costly litigation and wasted resources.” In April 2023, the commission adopted ASTM F2057-23 as the mandatory federal stability standard.
Feldman joined the commission in 2018 after Joseph Mohorovic’s resignation and was confirmed for a seven-year term ending in October 2026. Before the commission, he was senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Other compliance-focused sessions at the 2024 Summit include a case study on navigating a CPSC compliance audit, a review of the EPA’s risk assessment for formaldehyde, a refresher on California Prop 65 compliance, updates on new online labeling laws and a deep dive into PFAS reporting requirements.
The Summit also will feature break-out sessions on revisions to the ASTM tip-restraint standard, the proposed new ASTM recliner safety standard and the impact of environmental regulations on furniture packaging.
includes breakfast and lunch both days, as well as a cocktail reception with Commissioner Feldman, sponsored by Benchmark International, on Aug. 7. Discounted accommodations are available at the Springhill Suites by Marriott/Greensboro Airport. Registration costs $225 for AHFA members and $1,225 for non-members.