STEP UP Act of 2007

The Sanctions to Eliminate Products Unsafe to the Public (STEP UP) Act of 2007 (H.R. 4850) was designed to strengthen safety requirements for products intended for children under five years of age. Introduced in December 2007, the bill sought to require manufacturers to obtain independent, third-party testing to certify that their products meet federal safety standards or are not considered hazardous.

For everyday citizens, this legislation aimed to provide greater peace of mind by ensuring that toys and nursery items are verified for safety by an outside lab rather than relying solely on a manufacturer's own claims. It also proposed stricter enforcement by banning the import of uncertified products and significantly increasing the fines for companies that violate lead-safety regulations in children's goods. Although this specific bill did not become law, its core goals of mandatory testing and stricter lead limits were largely addressed by the broader Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act passed in 2008.