Washington, D.C. ? The Consumer Product Safety Commission is poised to get the largest budget hike in three decades under an appropriations bill passed by Congress and sent to the White House for approval by President Bush.

The bill, which passed Wednesday, calls for setting aside $80 million for the agency, which has been criticized for acting too slowly or not at all, to protect consumers. The $80 million for fiscal year 2008 is $17 million more than the agency received the previous year.

The funding increase will allow the agency to hire additional inspectors and other workers and improve testing facilities. The bill also would prohibit industry-paid travel for CPSC employees.

Also on Wednesday, the House approved on a 407-0 vote the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. The bill calls for stricter lead standards, more testing for lead in products and increased the cap on civil penalties for violators from $1.8 million to $10 million.