A number of advocacy groups representing manufacturers and sellers throughout the toy industry favor a lawsuit filed in Federal District Court against Albany County. The lawsuit, filed by the Safe to Play Coalition, alleges that by passing Albany County Local Law No. J, the county acted with gross disregard of extensive federal laws regulating the safety of toys and children’s products.
The lawsuit alleges that Albany County Local Law No. J is unnecessary and illegal, since it bans and criminalizes the sale of toys and children’s products that otherwise meet federal safety laws under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The lawsuit asks for the law to be declared unconstitutional.
The coalition includes such organizations as the Halloween Industry Association and the Toy Industry Association. The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) has also come out in support of the Safe to Play Coalition’s lawsuit.
“The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association agrees with the stand that the Safe to Play Coalition has taken against Albany County Local Law No. J.,” says Kathleen McHugh, president of ASTRA. “Introducing laws at the county and state level to regulate toy safety are unnecessary and burdensome. Manufacturers and retailers nationwide are complying with federal laws and regulations that are effective in ensuring toy safety.”