VIDEO: Congress Considers Plastic Ban, Overhauls CPSC

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have struck a deal on a plan to make consumer products from toys to all-terrain vehicles safer.

The agreement comes after last year’s recalls of 45 million children’s products, mostly from China.

And controversy over whether a certain chemical used to make them should be banned.

A year after massive recalls led to public outrage,

Congress is set to overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The House and Senate have agreed on a bill that creates mandatory safety tests on cribs, children’s jewelry and other products.

It lowers lead levels, increases penalties for violations and adds more safety inspectors.

“We’re gonna start testing these products before they hit our shores, before they hit our shelves,“ said Illinois Senator Richard Durbin.

The bill requires tracking labels on children’s products so inspectors know exactly where each part came from.

But that’s tough in China, says manufacturing expert Jeremy Haft, because there are so many tiny companies involved.

“Way upstream, look: these tiny pig interesting scraping farms are making stuff that goes into the medicines that goes into our hospitals. We find that more and more in china. And regulating that from the CPSC level is not gonna be possible,“ haft said.

The bill bans chemicals known as phthalates, used in many plastics including baby bottles and toys.

They’re linked to birth defects and reproductive problems.

In a statement, the plastics industry argues:

“Restricting phthalates from children’s products, when they have been deemed safe for use in those products by the CPSC, will do nothing to protect children’s health.“

Consumer groups say this deal’s a good start.

The bill would take effect next year after the busy holiday buying season.

After house approval, the Senate’s expected to pass this bill before the break begins next week.

President Bush hasn’t decided whether to sign it.