|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
CONTACT:
Paul Resch |
State Rep. Joshua D.
Shapiro |
|
|
|
|
|
|
House passes Shapiro legislation to create child safety panel
Katie Elise Lambert Commission would aim to reduce unintentional deaths, injuries
HARRISBURG, June 29 – State Rep. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to create a statewide commission to investigate unintentional child deaths and suggest ways to reduce them won unanimous support today in the House of Representatives.
Shapiro’s legislation (H.R. 357) would create the Katie Elise Lambert Commission on Child Safety, an 18-member panel that would review state laws and regulations and make recommendations for improving child safety through the efforts of parents, health-care providers, legislators and product manufacturers. The concurrent resolution now heads to the Senate for approval.
The commission, named in honor of a 3-year-old Abington girl who was killed Jan. 21 in a furniture tip-over accident, would hold hearings and report its findings to state lawmakers by Nov. 30, 2006. Katie’s parents, Robert and Judy Lambert, testified before a House committee last month about the need for such a commission.
“The Lamberts could have lost themselves in
unbearable grief but instead they tried to turn tragedy into an education for
the rest of us -- parents, grandparents and others,” Shapiro said. “They
created the Katie Elise Lambert Foundation to focus attention on the importance
of child safety and this commission would further advance their efforts.”
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 8,000 to 10,000 people, mostly children, are injured or killed each year as the result of tipping furniture. It is estimated that six children die each year as a result of injuries sustained from tipping furniture.
Shapiro co-sponsored the resolution with Rep. Jerry Birmelin, R-Monroe/Pike/Wayne, chairman of the House Children and Youth Committee. At Shapiro’s request, Birmelin held a committee hearing last month on child safety that included testimony from Robert and Judy Lambert.
For the past six months, the Lamberts have been working to make parents and others aware of the danger posed by unsecured furniture or electronic appliances. They have formed a foundation, the Katie Elise Lambert Foundation, with its own Web site – www.katieeliselambert.com – that includes tips to make homes safe for children.
“I want to thank Bob and Judy Lambert for their strength and for telling their painful story so that other parents might avoid the painful loss they endured. Through their efforts, thousands of people have been informed about simple but life-saving safety precautions that can be taken in the homes,” Shapiro said.
“This commission would them help continue the important child safety work that they started, and I can’t thank them enough for their dedication to this cause.”
Judy Lambert would be the parent representative on the commission, Shapiro said.
The commission would also include lawmakers, a pediatrician, a child safety advocate and a product safety expert in the manufacturing industry. The panel’s final report would include:
· Statistics on the leading causes of unintentional childhood injury deaths and serious injuries
· Behaviors and strategies to reduce the risk of childhood injuries and inform others about possible injury hazards in the home
· Recommendations to raise awareness among parents and others of the threat of unintentional injuries to children
· Suggestions pediatricians and other health-care professionals can provide to parents during routine health visits about steps they can take to prevent unintentional injuries at home
· The feasibility of laws mandating warning labels on assembled and ready-to-assemble furniture
###pr/2005/mjh
l:\writers\releases\safetycommission.153