California Joins States Banning Flame Retardants; San Francisco Ban to Take Effect in 2019
November 16, 2018
Authored by: BCLP and Katie Green
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law a ban on flame retardants in certain household products. Starting January 1, 2020, it will be prohibited to sell or distribute children’s products, mattresses, and upholstered furniture that contain flame retardants in concentrations above 1,000 parts per million (ppm) in the state of California.
In addition to banning the sale of products containing flame retardants, the law requires the International Sleep Products Association to survey mattress producers every three years to determine what materials are being used to meet flammability standards.
The Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation is authorized to enforce the new law and adopt implementing rules and regulations.
In passing the bill, the Legislature cited evidence that flame retardants do little to increase fire safety, and expressed concerns about the link between flame retardants and various health problems, such as developmental problems in children and cancer.
California is one of a number of states that have banned flame retardants or specific chemicals commonly used in flame retardants. For more information about similar bans in other states, click on the links below.
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
San Francisco’s Flame Retardant Ban to Take Effect
On January 1, 2019, San Francisco’s similar ban on sale of upholstered furniture and juvenile products containing flame retardants goes into effect. Beginning next year, it