Bill > SB5975

This bill aims to provide consumers with safer cookware and create certainty for businesses involved in interstate and international trade by regulating lead in cookware. It amends existing laws to clarify definitions related to cookware, including what constitutes "aluminum or brass cookware" and "aluminum or brass utensils," and introduces the concept of "intentionally added" lead, which means lead added for a specific function in the product or its manufacturing, but not lead present from recycled materials. The bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of aluminum or brass cookware, utensils, or components containing intentionally added lead starting January 1, 2027. Furthermore, it sets a limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for lead in these items manufactured on or after January 1, 2026, and prohibits retailers and wholesalers from knowingly selling items exceeding this limit. The bill also adds a new section requiring the Department of Ecology to provide guidance to manufacturers on compliance and testing, and another new section designates cookware containing lead as a priority consumer product for evaluation, mandating the department to establish a lead limit of either 10 ppm or the lowest feasible limit by June 1, 2032, considering the entire product lifecycle. Importantly, any regulatory determination made by the department under a separate chapter (70A.350 RCW) regarding lead in aluminum or brass cookware will supersede the 90 ppm limit established in this bill, ensuring a more comprehensive regulatory approach.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5975&Year=2025&Initiative=false