§1204. Congressional veto of flammability regulations

(a) Transmission to Congress

The Commission shall transmit to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives a copy of any flammability regulation promulgated by the Commission under section 1193 of this title.

(b) Disapproval by concurrent resolution

Any regulation specified in subsection (a) shall not take effect if-

(1) within the ninety calendar days of continuous session of the Congress which occur after the date of the promulgation of such regulation, both Houses of the Congress adopt a concurrent resolution, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows (with the blank spaces appropriately filled): "That the Congress disapproves the flammability regulation which was promulgated under the Flammable Fabrics Act by the Consumer Product Safety Commission with respect to            and which was transmitted to the Congress on            and disapproves the regulation for the following reasons:           ."; or

(2) within the sixty calendar days of continuous session of the Congress which occur after the date of the promulgation of such regulation, one House of the Congress adopts such concurrent resolution and transmits such resolution to the other House and such resolution is not disapproved by such other House within the thirty calendar days of continuous session of the Congress which occur after the date of such transmittal.

(c) Presumptions from Congressional action or inaction

Congressional inaction on, or rejection of, a concurrent resolution of disapproval under this section shall not be construed as an expression of approval of the regulation involved, and shall not be construed to create any presumption of validity with respect to such regulation.

(d) Continuous session of Congress

For purposes of this section-

(1) continuity of session is broken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die; and

(2) the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain are excluded in the computation of the periods of continuous session of the Congress specified in subsection (b).

(June 30, 1953, ch. 164, §17, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XII, §1207(d), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 719 ; amended Pub. L. 110–314, title II, §204(c)(2)(C), (H), Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3042 , 3043.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Flammable Fabrics Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is act June 30, 1953, ch. 164, 67 Stat. 111 , which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1191 of this title and Tables.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1204, act June 30, 1953, ch. 164, §17, as added Dec. 14, 1967, Pub. L. 90–189, §10, 81 Stat. 574 ; amended May 11, 1976, Pub. L. 94–284, §19, 90 Stat. 514 , related to the National Advisory Committee for Flammable Fabrics Act, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–35, title XII, §1205(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 716 , eff. Aug. 13, 1981.

Amendments

2008-Pub. L. 110–314, §204(c)(2)(H), which directed substitution of "Commission" for "Consumer Product Safety Commission" in this section, was executed by making the substitution in subsec. (a) before "shall transmit", but not in subsec. (b)(1), to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–314, §204(c)(2)(C), which directed substitution of "Commission" for "Secretary" wherever appearing in the Flammable Fabrics Act, classified to this chapter, was not executed in subsec. (a) of this section, where "Secretary" precedes "of the Senate", to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Amendment was part of a series of conforming amendments to change references to the "Secretary" of Commerce to "Commission".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to consumer product safety rules under chapter 47 of this title and regulations under this chapter and chapter 30 of this title promulgated after Aug. 13, 1981, see section 1215 of Pub. L. 97–35, set out as an Effective Date of 1981 Amendment note under section 2052 of this title.