Federal consumer product safety cops will get a bigger arsenal.(PRODUCT SAFETY)

Kiplinger Letter, The, February, 2008

Federal consumer product safety cops will get a bigger arsenal when Congress reauthorizes the Consumer Product Safety Commission later this year. Lawmakers will hike the FY 2009 CPSC budget by about 40% over FY 2007 levels, providing for more inspectors, improved labs and other facilities plus funds for researching nanotechnology safety.

Also on deck: Stiffer penalties for product safety violators, stricter standards for product testing and certification plus a ban on lead in kids' products (the law now curbs lead content only in paint).

A national database of risky products will be readily available to consumers, though businesses worry that it may cause undue alarm.