Congress agrees on toy safety bill

WASHINGTON, July 29 (UPI) -- A toy safety bill that has emerged from U.S. Congressional negotiations would greatly tighten standards for the industry, lawmakers say.

The agreement, issued Monday by a bipartisan panel of U.S. Senate and House of Representatives negotiators, mandates stricter standards on the manufacture, importation and sale of products meant for children or nurseries, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

U.S. President George Bush is expected to sign the bill, which requires manufacturers and importers to put the toys through strict safety tests.

"It's a really strong, strong bill," Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., told the newspaper. "It really, in many ways, is the birth of a new agency that will have much broader authority, particularly to keep our children safe."

The law sets a standard for lead used in paint for toys. The new standard is 600 parts per million within 180 days, 300 parts per million after one year and 100 parts per million after three years, the Tribune said.