Awning Safety Act of 2025
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Would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a mandatory safety standard for fixed and freestanding retractable awnings within 18 months of enactment, addressing hazards such as awnings unexpectedly opening and striking a person removing bungee tie-down covers.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a final mandatory consumer product safety standard for fixed and freestanding retractable awnings within 18 months of enactment. The standard must address risks of death or serious injury associated with such awnings, specifically including the hazard of an awning unexpectedly opening and striking a person while they are removing bungee tie-downs from the awning cover. The CPSC would also determine which specific types of retractable awning devices fall within the scope of the standard.
Once issued, the standard would be treated as a formal consumer product safety rule under the Consumer Product Safety Act, giving it the same legal weight as other mandatory CPSC product rules. The bill does not itself set any technical design or performance requirements — it delegates that task entirely to the CPSC through a standard rulemaking process.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the CPSC to promulgate a final mandatory consumer product safety standard for fixed and freestanding retractable awnings within 18 months of enactment.
- 2Would direct the CPSC to determine which types of retractable awning devices fall within the scope of the required safety standard.
- 3Would treat the resulting awning safety standard as a mandatory consumer product safety rule under sections 7 and 9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act.
Who would be affected
Manufacturers, importers, and retailers of fixed and freestanding retractable awnings sold in the U.S. consumer market, who would need to comply with whatever technical safety standard the CPSC develops. Consumers who purchase and use retractable awnings — particularly homeowners and outdoor-space users — would be the intended beneficiaries of the new safety requirements.
Why it matters
Retractable awnings with bungee tie-down covers have been linked to injuries and deaths when they unexpectedly open and strike users. A mandatory CPSC standard would require manufacturers to meet specific safety benchmarks rather than relying on voluntary industry practices, which could reduce injuries for the many consumers who own or purchase these common outdoor products.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056 and 2058) (Sec. 2(c))
Adds a new mandatory consumer product safety standard for retractable awnings, treated as a rule under sections 7 and 9 of the Act.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for CPSC to issue the final retractable awning safety standard
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates H.R. 1767 would increase discretionary spending (subject to appropriation) by $3 million over the 2025–2030 period, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that the Awning Safety Act of 2025 would cost approximately $3 million over the 2025–2030 period, reflecting the Consumer Product Safety Commission's need for roughly five full-time employees in the first 18 months and two annually thereafter (at about $200,000 per employee) to develop and enforce a final safety standard for retractable awnings. All costs are discretionary — subject to future appropriations — and the bill would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending, revenues, or the federal deficit, including in any of the four 10-year periods beginning in 2036. H.R. 1767 imposes a private-sector mandate on awning manufacturers who must comply with the new standard (which may require safety clips and motion alerts), but CBO estimates the cost of that mandate would not exceed UMRA's private-sector threshold of $206 million (2025 dollars); the bill contains no intergovernmental mandates.
How implementation would work
The CPSC must complete a final rule within 18 months of enactment, using the standard notice-and-comment rulemaking process under 5 U.S.C. § 553. As part of the rulemaking, the Commission would determine the precise scope of covered awning devices. Once finalized, the standard carries the enforcement weight of a mandatory consumer product safety rule under sections 7 and 9 of the Consumer Product Safety Act, meaning noncompliant products could be subject to recall, penalties, and other CPSC enforcement actions.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This 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 bungee tie-downs for the cover of the awning.
Legislative subjects
Building construction; Commerce; Consumer affairs; Product safety and quality
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-158