2023 GRS Compliance Recap

2023 was a busy year in stuffed article compliance, and it’s easy to miss important updates that affect your business if you don’t have your finger on the pulse. 

Here we have collected all of the major news from 2023, including one major change for retailers and manufacturers of stuffed articles, several new laws and regulations to be aware of, and GRS company updates.

Law Label Lookup Launch

Perhaps the biggest news of the year, early in 2023 three U.S. regulatory agencies announced major changes that affect many retailers and manufacturers of stuffed articles. As a leader in compliance, GRS jumped on the opportunity to make it easy to stay compliant with these new changes.

Digital Law Label Regulations

In 2023, Utah finalized legislation that signaled a major change for stuffed article compliance, and California and Washington D.C. are expected to follow suit.

Utah's legislation requires every stuffed product that’s sold online to also have a digital version of their law label viewable online prior to purchase. That’s in addition to the physical label on the product itself.

A Regulatory Agency-Accepted Solution

Shortly after the announcement of these regulations, GRS developed a solution that makes it simple for retailers to stay compliant. 

Law Label Lookup™ a public online database that allows consumers and regulatory agencies to view law labels before purchase. Law Label Lookup™ helps retailers understand their compliance requirements, have suppliers upload their labels and remain compliant with these new regulations.

New Laws & Regulations

PFAS Bans & Regulations

The states of New York and Minnesota are among the latest states to take action against PFAS, a common filling material that has come under much scrutiny in recent years. We put together a brief guide on PFAS, the new legislation targeting their use, and what to do if your products contain PFAS.

D.C. Now Enforcing Regulation

Effective August 1, 2023, Washington D.C. began enforcing a code that requires that manufacturers and retailers of mattresses be registered with their department for a license. These regulations affect a wide range of stuffed products, which we cover in our blog linked below.

Pennsylvania Stuffed Toy Update

Good news for retailers and manufacturers with sustainability goals: this year, the state of Pennsylvania updated their Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act to allow for the sale of stuffed toys filled with recycled materials. 

Pennsylvania Fee Increase

Effective October 28, 2023 the Pennsylvania Legislature approved a fee increase for various services, listed below.

Bedding & Upholstered Furniture

Application & Renewals: $181.69

Sales fee: $.06 per item

Stuffed Toys

Application & Renewals: $90.84

Industrial Board (Variances)

Petition: $388.81

Expedite Request: $1600.06

Utah Quilted Clothing Guide

Utah is the only state that regulates quilted clothing. We put together a guide to help you understand your organization’s requirements and learn how to obtain your Quilted Clothing Permit and Quilted Clothing Label.

GRS Company Updates

Conference Recaps

Each year, GRS attends compliance-related events to keep at the forefront of our industry and network with retailers, importers and manufacturers of stuffed articles. This year we attended three conferences and wrote up quick recaps of our key takeaways.

Hundreds of toy manufacturers, importers, and distributors convened at the ASTRA Toy Show to show off new products. GRS was in attendance to identify opportunities to streamline stuffed toy compliance for new clients. 

The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) convened to discuss the evolving compliance landscape. GRS’ Vice President, Deven Wisner, participated as a panelist, adding depth to discussions on enhancing product safety.

The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) hosted a conference about Sustaining a BOLD Compliance Culture. Deven Wisner, our Vice President, played a pivotal role as a primary speaker and host of two tabletop discussions that added depth to the conference's deliberations.

GRS Adds Three New Retail Partners

This year GRS added three new retail partners to our Retail Compliance program: Macy’s, Marmot, and Gap, Inc. Retail Compliance gives retailers peace of mind that their URNs and licenses are active and fully compliant with state laws.

Updated Sales Reporting on GRS Website

This year GRS streamlined how we report annual sales for our Guaranteed Compliance customers. Moving forward, you will receive an automatic email notification prompting you to log into your GRS account and provide the information we require to report your annual sales.

The amount of regulations introduced this year highlights the importance of having a partner in the ongoing compliance of your stuffed products. The GRS team looks forward to being your partner in 2024 and beyond.