# Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021

This bill bans two types of baby sleep products that research has linked to infant injuries and deaths: inclined sleepers and crib bumpers. The government would have six months after the law passes to officially classify these items as banned hazardous products, which means they can no longer be sold, manufactured, or imported into the United States.

Inclined sleepers are products designed to let babies sleep on a slanted surface—think of a wedge or angled bassinet. The bill targets any sleeper tilted more than ten degrees that's intended for babies up to one year old. Crib bumpers are the padded liners that parents traditionally place around the inside of cribs to prevent babies from hitting the hard wooden slats. The ban covers padded bumpers, vinyl guards, and fabric slat covers, but it specifically excludes mesh liners, which are considered safer.

The practical impact is straightforward: parents won't be able to buy these products new, and retailers won't be allowed to stock them. This affects manufacturers, stores, and anyone currently using these items. The reasoning behind the ban is based on safety concerns—medical organizations have raised alarms that inclined sleepers can increase the risk of suffocation, and crib bumpers have been associated with entrapment and strangulation hazards. By treating these as banned hazardous products under existing consumer safety law, the government gains enforcement power to remove them from the market and penalize companies that continue selling them.

Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021

Cárdenas, Tony

Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 This bill makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, or distribute crib bumpers or inclined sleepers for infants.&nbsp;Specifically, inclined sleepers for infants are those designed for an infant up to one year old and have an inclined sleep surface of greater than 10 degrees. Crib bumpers generally are padded materials inserted around the inside of a crib and intended to prevent the crib occupant from becoming trapped in any part of the crib's openings; they do not include unpadded, mesh crib liners.