Bill > H1934

This bill amends existing law to prohibit the sale and manufacturing of personal care products containing synthetic plastic microbeads, which are defined as intentionally added, non-biodegradable solid plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size used for exfoliation or cleansing in rinse-off products. The ban applies to personal care products, including those labeled as over-the-counter drugs (which are medications available without a prescription and identified by specific labeling requirements like a "drug facts panel"), with staggered effective dates: manufacturing of non-drug personal care products will be banned starting December 31, 2017, and their sale will be banned starting December 31, 2018; similarly, the manufacturing of over-the-counter drugs containing these microbeads will be banned starting December 31, 2018, and their sale will be banned starting December 31, 2019. This legislation aims to protect public health and the environment by removing these tiny plastic particles from products that are washed down the drain and can end up in waterways.