---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 1274"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "1274"
heading: "Remedies respecting banned hazardous substances"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/1274"
units:
  - "Chapter 30 — Hazardous Substances"
---

# §1274. Remedies respecting banned hazardous substances

- (a) **Notice to protect public; form and contents—** If any article or substance sold in commerce is defined as a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1) (whether or not it was such at the time of its sale) and the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines (after affording interested [persons](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for a hearing) that notification is required to adequately protect the public from such article or substance, the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) may order the manufacturer or any distributor or dealer of the article or substance to take any one or more of the following actions:
  - (1) To give public notice that the article or substance is a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1).
  - (2) To mail such notice to each [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) who is a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of such article or substance.
  - (3) To mail such notice to every [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) giving the notice knows such article or substance was delivered or sold.

  An order under this subsection shall specify the form and content of any notice required to be given under the order.

- (b) **Order of Commission; repair, replacement, or refund—** If any article or substance sold in commerce is defined as a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1) (whether or not it was such at the time of its sale) and the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines (after affording interested [persons](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for a hearing) that action under this subsection is in the public interest, the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) may order the manufacturer, distributor, or dealer to take whichever of the following actions the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the order is directed elects:
  - (1) If repairs to or changes in the article or substance may be made so that it will not be a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1), to make such repairs or changes.
  - (2) To replace such article or substance with a like or equivalent article or substance which is not a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1).
  - (3) To refund the purchase price of the article or substance (less a reasonable allowance for use, if the article or substance has been in the possession of the consumer for one year or more—
    - (A) at the time of public notice under [subsection (a)](#a), or
    - (B) at the time the consumer receives actual notice that the article or substance is a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1),

    whichever first occurs).

  An order under this subsection may also require the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom it applies to submit a plan, satisfactory to the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c), for taking the action which such [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) has elected to take. The [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) shall specify in the order the [persons](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom refunds must be made if the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the order is directed elects to take the action described in [paragraph (3)](#b-3). If an order under this subsection is directed to more than one [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) shall specify which [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) has the election under this subsection. An order under this subsection may prohibit the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom it applies from manufacturing for sale, offering for sale, distributing in commerce, or importing into the customs [territory](/usc/15/1261.md?p=a) of the United States (as defined in general note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States), or from doing any combination of such actions, with respect to the article or substance with respect to which the order was issued.

- (c) **Discretionary remedial activities available to Commission; orders; contents—**
  - (1) If the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines (after affording interested [persons](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with [subsection (e)](#e) of this section) that any toy or other article intended for use by children that is not a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1) contains a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children (because of the pattern of defect, the number of defective toys or such articles distributed in commerce, the severity of the risk, or otherwise) and that notification is required to protect adequately the public from such toy or article, the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) may order the manufacturer or any distributor or dealer of such toy or article to take any one or more of the following actions:
    - (A) To give public notice that such defective toy or article contains a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children.
    - (B) To mail such notice to each [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) who is a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of such toy or article.
    - (C) To mail such notice to every [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) giving notice knows such toy or article was delivered or sold.

    An order under this paragraph shall specify the form and content of any notice required to be given under the order.

  - (2) If the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines (after affording interested [persons](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), including consumers and consumer organizations, an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with [subsection (e)](#e) of this section) that any toy or other article intended for use by children that is not a [banned hazardous substance](/usc/15/1261.md?p=q-1) contains a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children (because of the pattern of defect, the number of defective toys or such articles distributed in commerce, the severity of the risk, or otherwise) and that action under this paragraph is in the public interest, the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) may order the manufacturer, distributor, or dealer to take whichever of the following actions the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the order is directed elects:
    - (A) If repairs to or changes in the toy or article can be made so that it will not contain a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children, to make such repairs or changes.
    - (B) To replace such toy or article with a like or equivalent toy or article which does not contain a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children.
    - (C) To refund the purchase price of such toy or article (less a reasonable allowance for use, if such toy or article has been in the possession of the consumer for 1 year or more (i) at the time of public notice under paragraph [(1)(A)](#c-1-A), or (ii) at the time the consumer receives actual notice that the toy or article contains a defect which creates a substantial risk of injury to children, whichever first occurs).

    An order under this paragraph may also require the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom it applies to submit a plan, satisfactory to the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c), for taking the action which such [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) has elected to take. The [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) shall specify in the order the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom refunds must be made if the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom the order is directed elects to take the action described in [subparagraph (C)](#c-2-C). If an order under this paragraph is directed to more than one [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e), the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) shall specify which [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) has the election under this paragraph. An order under this paragraph may prohibit the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) to whom it applies from manufacturing for sale, offering for sale, distributing in commerce, or importing into the customs [territory](/usc/15/1261.md?p=a) of the United States (as defined in general note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States), or from doing any combination of such actions, with respect to the toy or article with respect to which the order was issued.

- (d) **Charge for remedy; reimbursement for expenses—**
  - (1) No charge shall be made to any [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) (other than a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer) who avails himself of any remedy provided under an order issued under subsection [(b)](#b) or [(c)](#c), and the [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) subject to the order shall reimburse each [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) (other than a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer) who is entitled to such a remedy for any reasonable and foreseeable expenses incurred by such [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) in availing himself of such remedy.
  - (2) An order issued under subsection [(a)](#a), [(b)](#b), or [(c)](#c) with respect to a toy, article or substance may require any [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) who is a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of the toy, article or substance to reimburse any other [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) who is a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of such toy, article or substance for such other [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e)’s expenses in connection with carrying out the order, if the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines such reimbursement to be in the public interest.
- (e) **Hearing; representative of class—** An order under subsection [(a)](#a), [(b)](#b), or [(c)](#c) may be issued only after an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with [section 554 of title 5](/usc/5/554.md), except that, if the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) determines that any [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e) who wishes to participate in such hearing is a part of a class of participants who share an identity of interest, the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) may limit such [person](/usc/15/1261.md?p=e)’s participation in such hearing to participation through a single representative designated by such class (or by the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c) if such class fails to designate such a representative).
- (f) **“Manufacturer” defined—** For purposes of this section (1) the term “manufacturer” includes an importer for resale, and (2) a dealer who sells at wholesale an article or substance shall with respect to that sale be considered the distributor of that article or substance.
- (g) **Cost-benefit analysis of notification or other action not required—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the [Commission](/usc/15/1261.md?p=c), in determining that an article or substance distributed in commerce presents a substantial product hazard and that notification or other action under this section should be taken, to prepare a comparison of the costs that would be incurred in providing notification or taking other action under this section with the benefits from such notification or action.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 86–613, § 15, as added Pub. L. 91–113, § 4(a), Nov. 6, 1969, 83 Stat. 189; amended Pub. L. 97–35, title XII, § 1211(f)(1), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 97–414, § 9(l), Jan. 4, 1983, 96 Stat. 2065; Pub. L. 98–491, § 2, Oct. 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 2269; Pub. L. 100–418, title I, § 1214(c), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1156; Pub. L. 101–608, title I, § 111(b), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3114; Pub. L. 110–314, title II, § 204(b)(4)(H), Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3042.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c)(2), is not set out in the Code. See Publication of Harmonized Tariff Schedule note set out under section 1202 of Title 19, Customs Duties.

### Amendments

2008—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–314 substituted “Commission may order” for “Consumer Product Safety Commission may order” in introductory provisions.

1990—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 101–608 added subsec. (g).

1988—Subsecs. (b), (c)(2). Pub. L. 100–418 substituted “general note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States” for “general headnote 2 to the Tariff Schedules of the United States”.

1984—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(a)(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (c) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(b), inserted “or (c)” after “subsection (b)”.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(c), (d), substituted “a toy, article” for “an article”, “toy, article” for “article” in two places, and “subsection (a), (b), or (c)” for “subsection (a) or (b)”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(a)(2), (d), redesignated subsec. (d) as (e) and substituted “subsection (a), (b), or (c)” for “subsection (a) or (b)”. Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98–491, § 2(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f).

1983—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–414 added subsec. (e).

1981—Pub. L. 97–35 revised section generally and substituted provisions authorizing the Commission to require the manufacturers, distributors, or dealers as the case may be to notify the public that the article or substance was a banned hazardous one, and to repair, replace or refund the purchase price, when the Commission determines after providing the manufacturer, distributor, or dealer an opportunity for a hearing that banned hazardous substances were sold for provisions requiring the manufacturer, distributor or dealer to repurchase the banned hazardous article or substance.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–418 effective Jan. 1, 1989, and applicable with respect to articles entered on or after such date, see section 1217(b)(1) of Pub. L. 100–418, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3001 of Title 19, Customs Duties.

### Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–35 effective Aug. 13, 1981, see section 1215 of Pub. L. 97–35, set out as a note under section 2052 of this title.

### Effective Date

Section effective on sixtieth day following Nov. 6, 1969, see section 5 of Pub. L. 91–113, set out as an Effective Date of 1969 Amendment note under section 1261 of this title.