Legislation would help prevent tragic accidents from poorly designed, ill-maintained, faulty gates
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today unanimously passed the Alex Gate Safety Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to create and enforce a consumer product safety standard for large and potentially hazardous gates often installed in residential, commercial, and recreational settings.
Senator Curtis’ remarks delivered at the Committee markup can be found here.
“Today’s vote on the Alex Gate Safety Act represents the government taking commonsense action to protect consumers from avoidable accidents caused by poorly designed or maintained gates,” said Senator Curtis. “By codifying industry standards for simple and affordable safety mechanisms, this bill will help prevent tragedies like those of seven-year-old Alex Quanbeck and Esther Nakajjigo. I’d like to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for agreeing to take up this important measure, and Senator Klobuchar for her partnership on this effort.”
“We have seen poorly designed, ill-maintained, or faulty gates injure or even kill people when they fall,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation is a common-sense step forward to preventing these tragedies by requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt safety standards, including simple, low-cost latches, that will prevent these gates from falling.”
Background:
In 2019, seven-year-old Alex Quanbeck was playing football with friends during recess when he attempted to close the schoolyard gate to stop the ball from rolling away. However, as he pushed the gate closed, it detached from its supporting hardware and collapsed on him—a shocking accident which could have been prevented had the gate been equipped with a simple safety feature that costs no more than $50.
In 2020, Esther “Essie” Nakajjigo was killed by an unsecured gate at Arches National Park during a camping trip. A strong wind blew the metal gate into her car, decapitating Nakajjigo.
To address these safety concerns, consumer advocates, industry professionals, independent experts, and standards organizations came together to update the voluntary industry standards.
The Alex Gate Safety Act would provide legislative backing for these efforts by:
- Directing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a consumer product safety standard for vehicular and large gates within 180 days of enactment;
- Allowing the CPSC to modify standards if it determines that a modification would further reduce the risk of injury associated with covered gates; and
- Launching a national campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of covered gates, including those that detach or fall.
Read more about the legislation here.