{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pettersen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=476", "Rep. Pettersen Introduces Bill to Ban Water Beads Marketed for Kids Ahead of Holiday Shopping Season", "2023-11-28", "2023", "2023-11", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Brittany Pettersen", "P000620", "pettersen.house.gov", "pettersen", "https://pettersen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), and Robin Kelly (IL-02) introduced the Ban Water Beads Act, legislation to ban water beads marketed for kids. Water beads are colorful, water-absorbing balls that are sold as children\u2019s toys and often look like candy. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), they are a danger to young children and can be deadly if swallowed.\n\n\u201cAs the mom of a toddler, I know dangerous toys that look fun but actually have harmful\u2013or even deadly\u2013consequences are every parent\u2019s nightmare,\u201d said Pettersen. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what the parents of kids who ingested these water beads are going through, and we cannot allow this product to continue harming children in Colorado or anywhere in our country. Especially as parents begin shopping for the holidays, I\u2019m proud to join Representatives Pallone and Kelly on this bill to ban water beads and keep kids safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cWater beads come in all sorts of bright rainbow colors, tend to look like candy, and are often labeled as non-toxic,\u201d said Pallone. \u201cThey look and sound fun, but the reality is these colorful products can become deadly or cause serious injuries when swallowed by children. That\u2019s why I\u2019m introducing legislation to ban water beads marketed for kids nationwide. I\u2019m grateful to everyone who joined me today to raise awareness about the danger these products pose\u2014especially as holiday shopping begins\u2014and I look forward to continuing to work together to advance this legislation to protect our nation\u2019s little ones.\u201d\n\nClick here to access the full bill text.\n\nThe Ban Water Beads Act would direct the CPSC to enforce a ban on all water beads marketed for use by kids. The agency has received heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered severe consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts, and tragic deaths. When swallowed by children, water beads can quickly absorb bodily fluids and swell to block intestines or cause other injuries. According to estimates, children ingesting water beads resulted in 7,800 emergency room visits between 2016 and 2022.\n\n\u201cIn November 2022, water beads caused serious injury to my daughter, Kennedy Mitchell,\u201d said Folichia Mitchell. \u201cThese beads, sold in packs of thousands, bring a hidden risk into homes, leaving only luck to avert disaster. We must join forces to shield our children from such dangers, as they deserve more than just luck for protection. I stand in support of the Ban Water Beads Act, advocating for the right of every child to have safe toys in their home.\u201d Folichia Mitchell is a parent whose toddler suffered intestinal blockage after ingesting one water bead.\n\n\"Our sweet Esther Jo is gone all because of a toy; a toy she was never allowed to play with,\u201d said Taylor Bethard. \u201cWater beads are not worth the risk. If you are a parent, caregiver, teacher or therapist, I urge you to remove these from your spaces immediately. Our family is thankful that the Ban Water Beads Act will help ensure that no other family endures the same tragedy we have.\" Taylor Bethard is a parent whose daughter tragically passed away after ingesting a water bead from a children\u2019s toy kit.\n\n\u201cI have heard heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered horrendous consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts, and even death,\u201d said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. \u201cAll small children who have access to water beads are at risk. I thank the Representatives for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with him and with parent advocates to protect children.\u201d\n\n\u201cA toy is meant to bring joy, not tragedy,\u201d said Ashley Haugen, Founder and President of That Water Bead Lady. \u201cYet, in 2017, my family\u2019s life was turned upside down when water beads, purchased for my oldest daughter, poisoned, and critically injured my youngest daughter, Kipley. The same water beads that devastated my family remain for sale, a silent threat in any home. We support the Ban Water Beads Act and urge retailers to proactively remove these beads from their online platforms and shelves.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf ingested, inhaled, or inserted in ear canals, water beads absorb bodily fluids and can lead to potentially life-threatening injuries, such as intestinal or bowel obstruction, lung or ear damage,\u201d said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger (KID). \u201cNo amount of supervision can keep children safe from these tiny beads.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pettersen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=476"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0015773586928844, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}