,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cadc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ai1 
#bjai,mr4 ,blumenthal introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to ban certain rare earth 
magnets1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,magnet ,injury ,prevention ,act4   
#b4 ,findings ,congress makes the       
following findings3  7#a7 ,small1 rare  
earth1 high-powered magnets are commonly
 sold in sets of #bjj or more individual
 magnets4  7#b7 ,rare earth1            
high-powered magnets pose a hidden      
hazard to infants1 children and teens4  
7#c7 ,when two or more rare earth1      
high-powered magnets are ingested1 the  
force 7or flux7 allows magnets to find  
each other across or between different  
segments of the digestive system4  7#d7 
,when magnets connect across or between 
different segments of the digestive     

system the result can be perforations1  
abscesses1 or fistulas in the bowel4    
7#e7 ,sometimes1 the magnetic force     
causes the intestine to twist1 cutting  
off blood supply and leading to bowel   
necrosis4  7#f7 ,ingestion of two of    
more rare earth1 high-powered magnets   
confers a high risk of abdominal        
catastrophe and death4  7#g7 ,children  
almost universally require high-cost    
medical intervention following rare     
earth1 high-powered magnet ingestions4  
7#h7 ,evidence does not exist that      
warning information will reduce the     
hazard associated with the ingestion of 
small1 powerful rare-earth magnets from 
magnet sets4  7#i7 ,the absence of      
regulatory action to reinstate standards
 for rare earth1 high-powered magnet    
sets requires legislative action4  #c4  
,ban on certain rare earth magnets  7a7 
,covered rare earth magnet defined ,in  
this section1 the term covered rare     
earth magnet means any individual or set
 of separable1 permanent magnets that-- 

7#a7 is made from alloys of rare earth  
elements2  7#b7 is-- 7,a7 a consumer    
product 7as defined in section #c of the
 ,consumer ,product ,safety ,act 7#ae   
,u4,s4,c4 #bjeb77 that is--  7i7        
intended1 marketed1 or commonly used as 
a manipulative or construction item for 
entertainment1 such as puzzle working1  
sculpture building1 mental stimulation1 
stress relief1 or for similar           
entertainment2  7ii7 not a toy subject  
to ,,astm ,f#ifc 7or any successor      
standard72 and  7iii7 not children's    
jewelry that is subject to ,,astm       
,f#bibc 7or any successor standard72 or 
7,b7 a component of a consumer product  
described in subparagraph 7,a72  7#c7 is
 or contains any individual magnet that 
fits completely within the small parts  
cylinder described in section #aeja4d of
 title #af1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations2 and  7#d7 is or contains  
any individual magnet with a flux index 
of greater than #ej k,g#b mm#b4  7b7    
,ban on certain rare earth magnets      

,covered rare earth magnets shall be    
considered banned hazardous products    
under section #h of the ,consumer       
,product ,safety ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4    
#bjeg74  7c7 ,effective date ,subsection
 7b7 shall take effect on the date that 
is #ij days after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act and shall apply  
with respect to covered rare earth      
magnets that are manufactured in or     
imported into the ,united ,states after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act4