Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Alexander Hoehn-Saric, has accepted AHFA’s invitation to address the Board of Directors at its May 2024 government affairs meeting at the Westin Washington, D.C. Downtown.
The Chairman will open the May 14 board meeting at 1 p.m. This portion of the board meeting will be open to the public. Following Hoehn-Saric’s remarks and a question-and-answer period, there will be a break to allow guests the opportunity to depart before the AHFA board reconvenes.
Hoehn-Saric was nominated to the commission by President Joe Biden in July 2021. He was confirmed in October 2021 for a term that expires in October 2027.
Among the priorities he has advanced during his tenure are: expanding outreach to consumers on product safety issues; addressing product safety issues around ecommerce; and emphasizing compliance and enforcement activities.
Under his leadership, CPSC has assessed more than $100 million in civil penalties, far more than at any other period in the agency’s history. The agency also has expanded outreach to consumers, issuing direct warnings about products deemed dangerous, targeting education efforts toward communities at greater risk, and leveraging digital platforms to amplify safety messaging.
Prior to joining the Commission, Hoehn-Saric was chief counsel for communications and consumer protection for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce. In this role he served as chief legal advisor to Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) on issues of product safety, auto safety, consumer protection, privacy and other communications issues. He was instrumental in drafting legislation to increase the authority and resources for the CPSC.
Hoehn-Saric also worked on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee where he was integral in the drafting of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
Following the half-day board meeting on May 14, member company executives will join members of the retail Home Furnishings Association government affairs committee on Capitol Hill on May 15 for a morning of congressional visits.