Like many people, I was deeply concerned by the dangerous and poisonous toys that large Chinese toy manufacturers have been selling to our nations families. And, I was very pleased that Congress acted quickly to protect America's children by enacting the CPSIA. However, I am very concerned that the CPSIA's mandates for third party testing and labeling will have a dramatic and negative effect on small toymakers and crafters of children's products whose safety records have been exemplary. Because of the fees charged by Third Party testing companies, many manufacturers, especially makers of beautiful wooden toys and unique children's clothes from Maine to Oregon will be driven out of business. Their cottage workshops simply do not make enough money to afford the $200 to $4,000 price tag per toy that Third Party testers are charging per item. I urge the CPSC to make some very reasonable exclusions in their interpretation of the law as they continue their rulemaking process. For example, manufacturers should be able to rely on testing done by their materials suppliers instead of paying for redundant unit-based testing. I would also like to see an exemption to third party testing requirements for micro-businesses similar to the exemptions granted by the FDA for small producers under the food labeling laws. These toy makers and crafters have earned and kept the public's trust. They provide jobs for hundreds and quality playthings for thousands. Their unique businesses should be protected. Please visit www.handmadetoyalliance.org to learn more about this issue. [A copy of this petition will be sent to the CPSC.] [Note: signatories 1 through 6,494 signed a slightly different version of this petition, which is available at http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/document-to-share/petitiontext1.pdfattredirects=0 .]

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