Topic: Recent legislation and regulations

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California proposes to exempt coffee from Prop 65 warning requirement

By Jeff Margulies (US) on June 18, 2018 Posted in California Proposition 65, Recent legislation and regulations

On April 12, 2018, we wrote about the decision in Council for Research on Education in Toxics v. Starbucks, in which a California Superior Court judge rejected the evidence presented by coffee roasters and retailers to demonstrate that exposures to acrylamide in coffee were exempt from Proposition 65’s warning requirement. With a motion for permanent … Continue reading

The year in review: cosmetics remain target of California VOC enforcement

By Will Troutman (US) and Shirley Kim (US) on February 4, 2018 Posted in Recent legislation and regulations

A year-end review of the California Air Resource Board’s published enforcement settlements highlights that cosmetics remain a priority for ARB under the General Consumer Products Regulation, which limits the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in consumer products. The General Consumer Products Regulation The ARB General Consumer Products Regulation sets VOC limits (percent by weight) … Continue reading

CPSC finalizes phthalate rule that may cause headaches for imports

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on December 20, 2017 Posted in Consumer Product Safety Commission, Recent legislation and regulations

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has finally published its Final Rule on phthalates. CPSC first proposed the rule nearly three years ago, and its publication brings to eight the number of phthalates included in CPSC’s consumer product safety standard for children’s toys and child care articles. The rule is effective April 25, 2018 – but in … Continue reading

California enacts law requiring cleaning product ingredient disclosures

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on October 25, 2017 Posted in Recent legislation and regulations

California has enacted Senate Bill 258, the “Cleaning Products Right to Know Act of 2017.” SB 258 requires cleaning product manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of their products to consumers. The bill is a victory for disclosure advocates after many failed attempts at a California “right-to-know.” The first disclosure requirements take effect for products manufactured on … Continue reading

Oregon children’s product reporting instructions and portal go live

By Will Troutman (US) on October 13, 2017 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

With less than three months to go before the first biennial reporting deadline, the Oregon Health Authority has opened its reporting portal and issued instructions for reporting under the Oregon Toxic Free Kids Act. The Act requires manufacturers (or importers into the state) to report the existence of “High Priority Chemicals of Concern for Children’s … Continue reading

New Jersey passes new drivers license swipe law

By Spencer Persson and Sarah Moses on August 7, 2017 Posted in General, Recent legislation and regulations

In enacting the Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act (S-1913), New Jersey joins a growing minority of states with so-called “swipe laws.” New Jersey’s law generally aligns with swipe laws in the approximately one-third of other states with such laws, limiting the purposes and type of information a retailer may scan and retain from identification … Continue reading

EPA formaldehyde saga continues

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on July 7, 2017 Posted in Recent legislation and regulations

Back in January, the EPA published its final rule restricting formaldehyde emissions from composite wood. While the original rule set compliance dates starting December 12, 2017 (with additional dates in 2018 and 2023), the rule has undergone a tumultuous several months. Where it stands now is anybody’s guess, but the prudent course is to plan … Continue reading

Washington restricts flame retardants in children’s products and upholstered furniture

By Will Troutman (US) and Lauren Shoor on May 26, 2017 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

On July 1, 2017, Washington’s “Toxic-Free Kids and Families Act” goes into effect, restricting the use of the following five flame retardants in children’s products and residential upholstered furniture: Additive TBBPA Deca-BDE HBCD (HBCDD) TDCPP TCEP Under the Act, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers are prohibited from manufacturing, knowingly selling, offering for sale, or distributing for sale or … Continue reading

Drone registry rule grounded by court

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on May 25, 2017 Posted in Recent consumer products case law, Recent legislation and regulations

Updating our previous post about the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules and regulations regarding the use of drones, an appeals court has struck down one of the more hotly disputed aspects of the program – the FAA’s registration requirement for recreational drone owners. As part of the FAA’s drone program, FAA regulations require recreational drone users … Continue reading

Chicago checkout bag tax set to begin

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on January 30, 2017 Posted in General, Recent legislation and regulations

For retailers and other companies doing business in the Windy City, the Chicago Checkout Bag Tax Ordinance implements a $0.07 tax on “the retail sale or use” of paper or plastic checkout bags. It goes into effect on February 1, 2017. The new tax accompanies the repeal of the city’s reusable bag ordinance. The tax … Continue reading

Trump administration ices EPA formaldehyde in composite wood rule

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on January 27, 2017 Posted in Recent legislation and regulations

Following up our recent post on EPA’s publication of its formaldehyde in composite wood rule, the Trump administration has delayed the rule’s effective date from February 10, 2017 to March 21, 2017. This delay is part of the administration’s “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review.” It is unclear what impact this freeze will have on the rule’s implementation, … Continue reading

EPA publishes formaldehyde in composite wood rule – Dec. 2017 compliance dates

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on January 15, 2017 Posted in General, Recent legislation and regulations

EPA recently published its final rule restricting formaldehyde emissions from composite wood. The publication now triggers the rule’s effective date (Feb. 10, 2017) and the first compliance dates (December 12, 2017). The rule implements the formaldehyde standards found in Title VI of TSCA. EPA has expressly stated that the rule is “consistent, to the extent EPA deemed appropriate and practical … Continue reading

Clamshell compliance: California’s Rigid Plastic Packaging Container law

By Will Troutman (US) and Jade Jurdi (US) on December 1, 2016 Posted in General, Recent legislation and regulations

California remains on the forefront of sustainability and recycling requirements. A key restriction in California is the Rigid Plastic Packaging Container Law, which targets hard plastic product packaging (namely “clamshells”). The law requires that product manufacturers reduce waste from covered packaging through several methods. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, referred to as … Continue reading

Drone requirements continue to evolve

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on November 30, 2016 Posted in Recent legislation and regulations

Back in 2015, the FAA promulgated various rules and regulations regarding the use of drones, which included a requirement to register all such aircraft. The FAA has subsequently finalized its rule for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, which took effect on August 29, 2016. The new rule offers safety regulations and limitations for unmanned drones weighing … Continue reading

New PCI requirements for retailers

By Susan Ross (US) on July 11, 2016 Posted in General, Recent legislation and regulations

For retailers that accept credit or debit cards and use service providers, a new version of the PCI Data Security Standards (PCI DSS v3.2) will impose new requirements as of November 1, 2016. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council issued “clarifications” and “evolving requirements” in the new version. Clarifications are changes to ensure … Continue reading

UPDATE: President Obama signs TSCA reform bill into law

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on June 23, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

Updating our prior post, President Obama has signed the TSCA reform bill into law. We will continue to provide updates as expectations for implementation develop.… Continue reading

Congress passes TSCA reform bill – no relief from Prop 65

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on June 14, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

After decades of stalled efforts, the House and Senate have both passed TSCA reform legislation. The bill, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2576), is the result of extensive negotiations between the House and Senate to reconcile differences between competing TSCA reform bills in both houses. We expect the … Continue reading

FTC aims to modernize warranty requirements

By Will Troutman (US) on May 25, 2016 Posted in Federal Trade Commission, Recent legislation and regulations

The FTC has recently proposed amendments to the Disclosure Rule and Pre-Sale Availability Rule it issued under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the federal law governing warranties on consumer products. These amendments come in response to the E-Warranty Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law in September 2015. Click through to the full discussion that my colleagues, … Continue reading

WARNING: OEHHA announces proposed regulations and a safe harbor level for BPA

By Jeff Margulies (US), Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on March 18, 2016 Posted in California Proposition 65, Recent legislation and regulations

After several false starts, Proposition 65 warnings will be required for exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) starting on May 11, 2016. Because of tremendous uncertainty regarding the amount of BPA exposure that will require a warning, as well as the ubiquitous nature of the chemical, on March 17, 2016, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard … Continue reading

The mysterious world of green chemistry: update on Washington’s lead, cadmium, and phthalates enforcement

By Will Troutman (US) and Joseph Drapalski (US) on March 14, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

Continuing our coverage of the Washington’s Children’s Safe Products Act, the Washington Department of Ecology recently issued guidance clarifying its enforcement policy of the Washington Act’s prohibition on the manufacturing and sale of children’s products containing lead, cadmium, and phthalates. In this guidance, the Department concedes that the federal Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act preempts … Continue reading

Prop 65 exposure level set for DINP

By Will Troutman (US) on February 24, 2016 Posted in California Proposition 65, Recent legislation and regulations

Updating an issue we have been tracking, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment finalized the No Significant Risk Level for DINP of 146 µg/day. The NSRL will got into effect April 1, 2016. Once in effect, this will be the level of exposure at which a warning is required for DINP. This will … Continue reading

The mysterious world of green chemistry: Washington’s 180 on cadmium and phthalates

By Will Troutman (US) and Andy Guo (US) on February 11, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

In our previous post on Washington’s Children’s Safe Products Act, we focused on the Act’s reporting requirement. But the Act also contains provisions prohibiting the sale of children’s products containing certain chemicals above the following limits: Lead: 90 parts per million (ppm) Cadmium: 40 ppm; and Phthalates in children’s products in excess of 1,000 ppm … Continue reading

The mysterious world of green chemistry: Washington’s green chemistry law

By Will Troutman (US) and Joseph Drapalski (US) on February 4, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

This week we turn from federal law to the patchwork of state laws that cropped up due to TSCA’s failures. First up is Washington’s green chemistry law: the Children’s Safe Products Act. The CSPA requires manufacturers of children’s products sold in Washington to file a report with the state if their product contains certain chemicals. … Continue reading

The mysterious world of green chemistry: TSCA reform

By Will Troutman (US) on January 29, 2016 Posted in Green chemistry, Recent legislation and regulations

The Toxic Substances Control Act and resulting regulations are the federal regulatory structure for chemicals management. TSCA (tah-ska) authorizes the US EPA to review and regulate chemicals. For many existing chemicals, TSCA requires manufacturers to work with EPA to fill in data gaps on risk, and new chemicals must undergo pre-market screening. If EPA determines a … Continue reading