Businesses face a daunting task when attempting to comply with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) reporting requirements. In an effort to simplify and streamline the process for consumer products providers, CPSC recently launched a “Regulatory Robot” designed “to guide you through . . . identify[ing] important product safety requirements that you should review before manufacturing or importing your consumer product.”

The Regulatory Robot asks a series of questions regarding a user’s product. Throughout the process, the Regulatory Robot provides helpful links that explain, for example, the definition of “consumer product,” which products qualify as “children’s products,” and those categories of items that fall under “household products.” After the user answers questions via the click-through menus, the Regulatory Robot generates a report that identifies consumer product safety requirements applicable to the product in question. This includes citations to applicable federal regulations, as well as further information on and links to CPSC’s own internal guidelines. The report also helps to identify when third-party product testing is necessary and identifies CPSC-approved laboratories to conduct the testing. Finally, the report provides guidance on mandatory and voluntary reporting obligations, as well as basic information about product recalls. Because the purpose of the Regulatory Robot is to aid and guide users, CPSC does not request any identifying information, nor does it retain the final report generated to the user.