WASHINGTON -- Starting yesterday, certain electronics products intended for children will be exempted from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act lead limit. 

Under the CPSIA, the lead content in electronics products intended for children is required to be no greater than 600 parts per million. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued an interim rule because the Jan. 15 proposed rules would have been finalized after the Feb. 10 CPSIA compliance deadline.

The CPSC’s interim rule and the Jan. 15 proposed rules clarify that lead contained within electronics parts is inaccessible to children. The CPSC is recognizing that lead in a component part of electronics devices is not accessible to children because the lead is fully enclosed within a component that is itself within the device.  Additionally, the CPSC has also exempted the lead content in electronics because it is currently not technologically feasible for certain parts of electronic devices to comply with the CPSIA lead limits of 600 ppm.  

The Jan. 15 proposed rules are expected to become a final rule near the end of February 2009.  For more information on CPSC regulations and guidance, visit http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html.