Bill > S2200

This bill aims to protect children and families by restricting the use of certain harmful flame retardants in children's products and residential upholstered furniture. It defines key terms such as "children's product" (intended for children 12 and under), "department" (department of environmental protection), "manufacturer" (producer or importer), "principal importer" (first importer of foreign-made goods), "residential upholstered furniture" (indoor seating with cushioning), and "retailer" (seller to the public). The bill makes it illegal for manufacturers, distributors, or retailers to sell, offer for sale, or import into the Commonwealth any children's product or residential upholstered furniture containing specific flame retardants, including TDCPP, TCEP, TBBPA, and PBDEs, if their total weight exceeds 1,000 parts per million in any component part, with an exception for inventory manufactured before January 1, 2017. The Department of Environmental Protection is tasked with reviewing and potentially adding other harmful flame retardants to this list every three years, based on scientific evidence of their toxicity and presence in the environment or human bodies. The bill also outlines penalties for violations, with fines up to $1,000 for initial offenses and up to $5,000 for subsequent offenses per item sold illegally, and requires manufacturers and importers to notify retailers of these restrictions at least 90 days before they take effect. Importantly, these restrictions do not apply to motor vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, or previously-owned products containing the restricted chemicals, nor to products manufactured before January 1, 2017, or those containing the restricted chemicals due to the use of recycled materials.