Ready, Set, Safe! Applauds U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Passage of Alex Gate Safety Act

Washington, D.C. — Ready, Set, Safe! applauds the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for advancing the bipartisan Alex Gate Safety Act (S.1682) to the full Senate for consideration, marking a critical step forward in preventing injuries and deaths caused by unsafe gates.

The legislation, introduced by Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish and enforce national safety standards for large and potentially hazardous gates, while launching a public awareness campaign to reduce preventable accidents. 

“The markup by the Senate Commerce Committee brings us one step closer to ensuring that no family has to endure the preventable tragedy that inspired this legislation,” said Eric Quanbeck, co-founder of Ready, Set, Safe!. “Simple, inexpensive safety measures can save lives, and this bill ensures those protections become the standard—not the exception.”

“The vote on the Alex Gate Safety Act represents the government taking common-sense action to protect consumers from avoidable accidents caused by poorly designed or maintained gates,” said Senator Curtis. “By codifying industry standards for simple and affordable safety mechanisms, this bill will help prevent tragedies like those of seven-year-old Alex Quanbeck and Esther Nakajjigo.”

“We have seen poorly designed, ill-maintained, or faulty gates injure or even kill people when they fall,” said Senator Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation is a common-sense step forward to preventing these tragedies by requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt safety standards, including simple, low-cost latches, that will prevent these gates from falling.”

“Advancing the Alex Gate Safety Act is a powerful example of what bipartisan collaboration can achieve,” said Dayna Quanbeck, co-founder of Ready, Set, Safe!. “We are deeply grateful to  Senators Curtis and Klobuchar and the Committee leaders, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), for honoring Alex’s legacy by helping protect children and families across the country.”

The Alex Gate Safety Act was introduced in response to more than two dozen tragic incidents involving gates across the country, including the death of seven-year-old Alex Quanbeck. In 2020, Esther “Essie” Nakajjigo was killed by an unsecured gate at Arches National Park during a camping trip. A strong wind blew the metal gate into her car, decapitating Nakajjigo. The bill aims to prevent similar accidents by codifying widely recognized ASTM industry safety standards and improving awareness nationwide. 

Ready, Set, Safe! also recognizes the critical support of industry partners, including the American Fence Association (AFA) and the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA), whose longstanding leadership on safety standards helped inform this legislation.

The organization urges the full Senate to swiftly consider and pass the Alex Gate Safety Act.