---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 1472"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "1472"
heading: "Special packaging standards"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/1472"
units:
  - "Chapter 39A — Special Packaging of Household Substances for Protection of Children"
---

# §1472. Special packaging standards

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1),[^1] may establish in accordance with the provisions of this Act, by regulation, standards for the [special packaging](/usc/15/1471.md?p=4) of any [household substance](/usc/15/1471.md?p=2) if it finds that—
  - (1) the degree or nature of the hazard to children in the availability of such substance, by reason of its packaging, is such that [special packaging](/usc/15/1471.md?p=4) is required to protect children from serious personal injury or serious illness resulting from handling, using, or ingesting such substance; and
  - (2) the [special packaging](/usc/15/1471.md?p=4) to be required by such standard is technically feasible, practicable, and appropriate for such substance.
- (b) **Considerations—** In establishing a standard under this section, the [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1) shall consider—
  - (1) the reasonableness of such standard;
  - (2) available scientific, medical, and engineering data concerning [special packaging](/usc/15/1471.md?p=4) and concerning childhood accidental ingestions, illness, and injury caused by [household substances](/usc/15/1471.md?p=2);
  - (3) the manufacturing practices of industries affected by this Act; and
  - (4) the nature and use of the [household substance](/usc/15/1471.md?p=2).
- (c) **Publication of findings, reasons, and citation of statutory authorizations—** In carrying out this Act, the [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1) shall publish its findings, its reasons therefor, and citation of the sections of statutes which authorize its action.
- (d) **Limitation—** Nothing in this Act shall authorize the [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1) to prescribe specific packaging designs, product content, [package](/usc/15/1471.md?p=3) quantity, or, with the exception of authority granted in [section 1473(a)(2) of this title](/usc/15/1473.md?p=a-2), [labeling](/usc/15/1471.md?p=5). In this case of a [household substance](/usc/15/1471.md?p=2) for which [special packaging](/usc/15/1471.md?p=4) is required pursuant to a regulation under this section, the [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1) may in such regulation prohibit the packaging of such substance in [packages](/usc/15/1471.md?p=3) which it determines are unnecessarily attractive to children.
- (e) **Cost-benefit analysis not required—** Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the Consumer Product Safety [Commission](/usc/15/1471.md?p=1), in establishing a standard under this section, to prepare a comparison of the costs that would be incurred in complying with such standard with the benefits of such standard.

## Footnotes

[^1]: Comma retained in amendment by Pub. L. 97–414.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–601, § 3, Dec. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1670; Pub. L. 92–573, § 30(a), Oct. 27, 1972, 86 Stat. 1231; Pub. L. 97–414, § 9(k), Jan. 4, 1983, 96 Stat. 2065; Pub. L. 110–314, title II, § 233, Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3073.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

For classification to the Code of “this Act”, referred to in text, see References in Text note set out under section 1471 of this title.

### Amendments

2008—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–314 added subsec. (e).

1983—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–414 struck out “, after consultation with the technical advisory committee provided for in section 1475 of this title” after “The Commission”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Transfer of Functions

“Commission” substituted for “Secretary”, “it” substituted for “he”, and “its” substituted for “his” wherever appearing in subsecs. (a) to (d) pursuant to section 30(a) of Pub. L. 92–573, which is classified to section 2079(a) of this title and which transferred functions of Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under this chapter to Consumer Product Safety Commission.