Why Are Amusement Park Rides Exempt from CPSC Oversight?
In 1981, following legal challenges and lobbying by owners of large theme parks, Congress limited CPSC authority to only those rides “not permanently fixed to a site”. A few sentences inserted into a 600-page omnibus agriculture bill deregulated the $10 billion amusement park industry without ensuring that state or local governments filled in the gap. In 1984, and again in 2000, Congress held hearings to reassess the wisdom of the loophole deregulating theme park thrill rides. In both cases, the hearings were triggered by a spike in the number of publicized fatalities on permanent amusement rides. Congressman Ed Markey introduced legislation in 1999 to repeal the theme park loophole. The National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act remains stalled in committee.
