# The Awning Safety Act of 2023

This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (the federal agency that sets safety standards for household products) to create new safety rules for retractable awnings within the next 18 months. Right now, there's no federal safety standard specifically for these awnings, so the bill is designed to fill that gap and protect people from injuries.

The main concern behind this bill is that retractable awnings can be dangerous. Specifically, the law mentions the risk of an awning suddenly opening and striking someone while they're removing the bungee tie-downs that hold the cover in place. These kinds of accidents can cause serious injuries or even death. The bill applies to both fixed awnings (permanently attached to a building) and freestanding ones (portable units you can move around). The safety rules will need to address all the hazards associated with these products that could cause death or serious injury.

Once the Consumer Product Safety Commission creates these standards, they'll work like any other federal safety rule—manufacturers will have to follow them, and products that don't meet the standards won't be allowed to be sold. The commission will decide exactly which types of retractable awnings need to follow these rules and what specific safety features they must have. This means if you buy a retractable awning in the future, it should be safer than products available today, with built-in protections to prevent unexpected opening and other injury risks.

Awning Safety Act of 2023

Balderson, Troy

Awning Safety Act of 2023This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a consumer product safety standard for fixed and freestanding retractable awnings. Specifically, the CPSC must issue a standard to protect against the risk of death or serious injury associated with the awnings, including the risk of death or serious injury related to the awning unexpectedly opening and striking a person while removing the&nbsp;bungee tie-downs for the cover of the awning.&nbsp;