Commissioner Mohorovic has just issued a thoughtful statement discussing the black hole that the Consumer Product Safety Commission calls its civil penalty policy. This statement follows another he filed this week discussing the $4.5 million penalty lodged against Sunbeam for a single-brew coffee maker that squirted out hot water when not used properly.
The Commissioner’s most recent statement precedes next week’s agency hearing on priorities for the upcoming year. He outlines a number of ways to address the process for assessing penalties—a process that, at best, can be called veiled and perplexing and, at worst, seems like penalty roulette. Those concerned about public policy and consumer protection should carefully review his suggestions for putting more discipline into an arbitrary process.
The CPSC Chairman has publicly stated his desire to see penalties increased. While disagreeing with that view, I do believe that it could be achieved more effectively if the agency were up-front about how they calculate penalties. It is not sufficient to say that this calculation is determined by applying the various factors set out in the regulation dealing with civil penalties. The settlement agreements over the past several years have been decidedly uninformative about how various factors were applied. As one who was directly involved in crafting that regulation, and as I have written before, I believe that the current practice is at odds with the underlying intent of the regulation—that is, to add more transparency to the process.
Commissioner Mohorovic is to be applauded for his persistence in highlighting the problem. Not only has he accurately described the problem, he has come up with creative suggestions for solving it. While Commissioner Buerkle has repeatedly expressed her dismay for the manner in which penalties are assessed, it will be interesting to see if the other commissioners pay any attention.
Last week it was $3.75 million for glass tumblers that can break. This week it is $4.5 million for coffee makers that can spill out hot water if not used according to instructions. Can’t wait to see what next week brings—but, for sure, it will be a crap shoot.
Nancy Nord joined OFW Law after completing an eight-year term as a Commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, serving from 2005 through 2013. Ms. Nord was Acting Chairman of the CPSC from July 2006 until June 2009.
