Consumer Advocacy and Protection Act of 2026

This bill significantly strengthens the enforcement capabilities of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) by amending the Consumer Product Safety Act. It increases the maximum civil penalty for individual violations of product safety standards from $100,000 to $250,000 . A crucial change is the elimination of the previous $15,000,000 cap on civil penalties for any related series of violations, allowing for potentially much higher total fines. Beyond increasing the base penalties, the legislation mandates that the CPSC annually adjust these maximum civil penalties for inflation. This adjustment will be determined by the cost-of-living adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index and published in the Federal Register each year. These changes aim to ensure that civil penalties remain a meaningful deterrent and reflect current economic conditions, thereby enhancing consumer protection.