SR-92, As Adopted by Senate, October 28, 2009

            Senators Cassis and Bishop offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 92.

            A resolution to recognize October 2009 as Window Covering Safety Month.

            Whereas, The month of October is recognized as National Window Covering Safety Month according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This designation is established to raise awareness of the strangulation hazards that window cords can pose  for young children; and

            Whereas, We join the parents of Isabela Grace Nagara of Commerce Township in remembering their beautiful two-year-old daughter who died tragically from window blind cord strangulation on June 26, 2009; and

            Whereas, According to information provided by the CPSC, since 1990, more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidental strangling in window cords in the United States. According to a 2004 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the actual number of deaths could be double the reported numbers because 50 percent of the cases go unreported; and

            Whereas, The CPSC and Parents for Window Blind Safety estimate that strangulation by corded window treatments kills one child every two weeks; and

            Whereas, The third-leading cause of death in children’s day-care settings results from corded window treatments. Corded window treatments include window blinds, mini blinds, Venetian blinds, Roman shades, cellular shades, corded roll-up shades, and vertical blinds; and

            Whereas, The hidden dangers of window blind cords often go overlooked by parents and caretakers. The CPSC ranks window blind cord strangulation on its list of the five most-hidden home hazards; and

            Whereas, Deaths and injuries caused by window blind cords can be minimized by the use of cordless blinds in children’s bedrooms and play areas and through replacing window coverings made before 2001; and

            Whereas, Although more cordless window treatments have been developed as a result of public awareness of this issue, the threat of strangulation remains. This past August, millions of window blinds manufactured by several different manufacturers and sold at major national retailers such as IKEA, Target, and Pottery Barn, as well as smaller specialty stores, were recalled because they posed a strangulation danger to children; and

            Whereas, Window Covering Safety Month will raise awareness of the threat that window blind cords pose to the safety of infants and children in homes and day-care centers; and

            Whereas, The Michigan Senate recognizes the importance of educating parents and childcare workers on the hazards of window blind cords and options for minimizing these risks; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That we hereby recognize October 2009 as Window Covering Safety Month; and be it further

            Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Michigan Department of Human Services Child Care Licensing Division, and Wes and Beth Nagara.