WASHINGTON — Research the American Home Furnishings Alliance did on compliance costs to meet children's furniture safety standards reached an influential audience here this month.

In a Feb. 17 appearance before a House subcommittee, Anne Northrup, a member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, cited AHFA research and written testimony on costs associated with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Northrup told legislators that a youth furniture producer would have to meet the following requirements, which the AHFA deems onerous:

- Determine if its product is primarily intended for children 12 and under, an issue for which the AHFA said the Commission has offered ambiguous guidance.

- Submit every piece of furniture - including nuts, bolts and multi-step finishes - for third party testing.

- Certify each component based on each of these tests.

- Add to each piece of children's furniture a tracking label containing a lot number that can trace each component to its specific certification and test.

- Maintain records for all tests and certifications for all parts of each children's product.

- Restart the entire process if a change is made to the product such as adding a new finish or resizing the piece.

The AHFA's research showed that one furniture producer spent $13 million to implement a tracking, testing and labeling system even though not one of its components exceeded new lead content limits.

Quoting an November 2010 letter the AHFA sent to the CSPC, Northrup noted that despite the time and money spent on compliance, "there has not been a corresponding benefit in the improved safety of furniture for children.... The testing is simply being done to prove a negative."

She suggested that Congress require a full cost-benefit analysis of CPSIA regulations before allowing the CPSC to spend any money to implement or enforce the rule.

She also voiced concern about a public database of consumer product safety complaints planned to launch in March. She recommended that Congress prohibit the CPSC from spending any money to launch the database until the commission's regulations can ensure "reports of harm" submitted to the database have enough information to be verified, and that the commission has effective procedures in place to resolve claims of inaccuracy.

AHFA's board also met in Washington this month, hosting a fundraiser for Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., an advocate for the furniture industry. The Board also met with Reps. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., Sue Myrick, R-N.C., Howard Coble, R-N.C., Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss., Marsha Blackburn R-Tenn., Robert Hurt R-Va., and Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.

Board members focused on making members of Congress aware of the impact of burdensome regulation on home furnishings manufacturers, importers and suppliers, with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act at the top of the agenda.