|
3/17/2005
A March 17, 2005 article from The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois) reports that a bill (Senate Bill 1465), which proposes setting a weight limit for text books used in Illinois elementary and secondary schools, is being presented to the Illinois Senate Education Committee. By limiting the amount a text book can weigh, the bill seeks to protect students from sustaining physical injuries associated with carrying heavy book bags. According to a 2002 survey conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, between 1994 and 2000 more than 23,000 children aged 6 to 18 visited an emergency room with book bag or backpack related injuries. If the bill becomes law, possible ways that text book manufacturers might reduce the weight of books include using lighter paper and publishing text books in multiple sections.
The article is available at the Web site of The State Journal-Register.
|
