Youth Poisoning Protection Act
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Would ban the sale of consumer products containing 10% or more sodium nitrite — a chemical linked to intentional self-poisoning — by classifying them as banned hazardous products under federal consumer safety law.
The restriction targets bulk sodium nitrite sold directly to consumers, while carving out legitimate uses in food processing, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and industrial applications.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would classify any consumer product containing a concentration of 10% or more sodium nitrite by weight as a "banned hazardous product" under the Consumer Product Safety Act. That designation would effectively prohibit the retail sale of such products to consumers. The bill defines the threshold precisely and directs the ban to take effect 90 days after enactment.
The ban would not apply to sodium nitrite used in drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or food products — including processed meats, poultry, eggs, and other food products regulated under existing federal food-safety laws. It would also not restrict commercial or industrial uses in which high-concentration sodium nitrite is not ordinarily sold to or used by individual consumers.
Key provisions
- 1Would classify any consumer product with 10% or more sodium nitrite by weight as a banned hazardous product under the Consumer Product Safety Act, prohibiting its retail sale to consumers.
- 2Would exempt high-concentration sodium nitrite used in drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and food products — including processed meats, poultry, and eggs — from the ban.
- 3Would also exempt commercial or industrial uses of high-concentration sodium nitrite not ordinarily sold to or consumed by individual consumers.
- 4Would set the ban's effective date at 90 days after the date of enactment.
Who would be affected
Retailers currently selling bulk or high-concentration sodium nitrite products to consumers, who would be prohibited from doing so. Individual consumers who currently purchase such products would lose access to them. Food processors, pharmaceutical companies, and industrial users would be unaffected, as would businesses that handle sodium nitrite exclusively in commercial or industrial contexts.
Why it matters
Bulk sodium nitrite has been associated with intentional self-poisoning, particularly among young people who obtain it through online retailers. Classifying high-concentration products as banned hazardous items would remove them from the consumer market without disrupting the food-processing and pharmaceutical industries that rely on the chemical for legitimate purposes.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2057) (Sec. 2(a))
Adds consumer products with 10% or more sodium nitrite to the category of banned hazardous products, prohibiting their consumer sale.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- The ban on high-concentration sodium nitrite consumer products takes effect
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 1442 would cost approximately $2 million over the 2025–2030 period in discretionary spending, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO found that H.R. 1442 would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues over the 2025–2035 period, and would not increase the deficit. The bill's only budgetary impact is an estimated $2 million in discretionary spending (funds subject to annual congressional appropriations) over 2025–2030, reflecting costs to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to implement and enforce the ban on consumer products containing 10 percent or more sodium nitrite by weight. The bill does impose a private-sector mandate under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act by banning the sale of such products, but CBO estimates the cost to businesses would fall well below the UMRA private-sector threshold of $206 million (in 2025 dollars), given the small existing consumer market and the fact that some states have already restricted these sales. No intergovernmental mandates were identified.
How implementation would work
Because the bill directly classifies qualifying products as banned hazardous products under section 8 of the Consumer Product Safety Act, no additional rulemaking is required — the ban is self-executing 90 days after enactment. The Consumer Product Safety Commission would be responsible for enforcing the existing banned-hazardous-product framework against sellers of non-exempt high-concentration sodium nitrite. Existing CPSC enforcement tools, including recalls and civil penalties, would apply.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 116.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill makes a consumer product with a concentration of sodium nitrite of 10% or greater a banned hazardous product.
The restriction does not apply to specified drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, or food products.
Legislative subjects
Child safety and welfare; Commerce; Consumer affairs; Hazardous wastes and toxic substances; Product safety and quality; Retail and wholesale trades
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-67