Member News

Toy Association Assesses Potential Impact of U.S. Federal and State Elections

Last week’s elections will bring in new legislators at the federal and state levels and The Toy Association team has begun laying the foundation to successfully navigate regulatory and legislative threats and opportunities in 2019 and beyond.

The Toy Association is committed to working closely with new legislators and the current administration to support policies that promote growth in the toy industry and those that remain highly protective of children. In the coming months, the Association will meet with newly-elected state legislators, members of Congress, and agency personnel to educate them on key industry priorities.

“This coming year presents a uniquely challenging environment for Toy Association members with tariffs being threatened at the federal level and likely new chemical regulations proposed at the state level,” said Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association. “While the threats to member businesses have never been greater, our team is taking steps to ensure that our industry’s voice is heard by the administration and incoming legislators across the country. We will continue to do work aggressively to protect and promote our members’ business interests.”

The Toy Association has already coordinated calls with its Federal Government Affairs Committee and Marketing to Children Committee to lay out our strategies for tariffs and children’s online privacy, respectively. A call with the Association’s Intellectual Property Committee will be held shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday to discuss the issue of counterfeit and IP infringement on toys sold online.

At the state level, the State Government Affairs Committee will be holding a call on November 26 to discuss the election’s impact and the Association’s state legislative strategy.

Toy Association members are encouraged to get involved with our advocacy committees. For more information on how to participate, contact Heather Easley, assistant manager of external affairs at The Toy Association.

Compliments of The Toy Association, a member of the EACCNY