The WA State Legislature has Passed the PBDE Bill!
See how your Legislator voted >
See press release on this victory for kid's health and the environment >
Summary of the PBDE Bill
House Bill 1024 / Senate Bill 5034
Title: Phasing out the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Lead Sponsors: Representative Ross Hunter and Senator Debbie Regala
House Sponsors as of 1/12/07:
Representatives Hunter, Priest, Kessler, B. Sullivan, Dickerson, Jarrett,
Hasegawa, Campbell, Rodne, Rolfes, McDermott, McIntire, Chase, Green, Hudgins,
Upthegrove, Quall, Conway, Clibborn, Sommers, Morrell, Sells, Kenney, Haigh,
Cody, Hunt, Lantz, McCoy, Appleton, Pettigrew, Schual-Berke, Roberts, Fromhold,
Takko, Simpson, P. Sullivan, Lovick, Flannigan, Moeller, Miloscia, Williams,
Blake, O'Brien, Linville, Wood, Goodman, Seaquist, Springer, Ericks, Kagi,
Darneille, Dunshee, Strow, Pedersen, Eickmeyer, McCune, Ormsby
Senate Sponsors as of 1/12/07:
Senators Regala, Eide, Swecker, Weinstein, Franklin, Rasmussen, Brandland, Spanel,
Jacobsen, McAuliffe, Poulsen, Keiser, Shin, Pridemore, Fraser, Fairley, Rockefeller,
Kline, Kohl-Welles, Tom, Murray, Oemig
The PBDE bill will:
- Ban the sale of consumer products containing the penta and octa forms of PBDEs in Washington state beginning January 1, 2008, with limited exceptions for airplane safety equipment, used cars and parts, medical devices, recycled carpet padding, and used products (e.g. furniture sold at GoodWill).
- Ban the sale of mattresses containing the deca form of PBDE in Washington state beginning January 1, 2008. (A new Consumer Product Safety Commission fire safety standard for mattresses approves the use of inherently flame retardants materials or the use of safer chemicals to meet the fire safety requirements.)
- Ban the sale of televisions, computers and residential upholstered furniture containing deca in Washington state by January 2011, provided that:
- by December 2008, the Departments of Ecology and Health identify a safer alternative to deca that also meets appropriate fire safety standards and is available at a reasonable cost; and
- a committee of 5 fire association representatives approves the use of the alternative to meet appropriate fire safety standard.
- If a safer alternative that adequately meets fire safety standards is not identified by December 2008, Ecology must issue an exemption to the ban, then re-evaluate the availability of deca alternatives annually. Once a safer, fire safety approved alternative is identified, Ecology will repeal the exemption and the ban will go into effect within 2 years.
- The Departments of Ecology and Health must continue to review the availability of alternatives for other uses of PBDEs not banned by the bill and must report to the legislature when they find a safer alternative that meets fire safety standards.
- Enforcement: Retailers who unknowingly sell banned PBDE products are not liable. The Department of Ecology may request certificates of compliance from manufacturers and may issue warning letters and fines to manufacturers who are not in compliance.
See the PBDE bill timeline for deca alternatives assessment and ban >
Bill info on WA State Legislature web site: ESHB 1024 >
2007 Legislative Session Actions
04/03/07 - The Senate passed the PBDE bill! yeas, 41; nays, 8; absent, 0; excused, 0.
See how your Senator voted >
03/21/07 - - The PBDE bill (ESHB 1024) was voted out of the Senate Water, Energy, and Telecommunications Committee. The bill now goes to the Rules Committee, then to a Senate floor vote.
02/16/07 - The House passed the PBDE Bill! yeas, 71;
nays, 24; absent, 0; excused, 3.
See how your Representative voted >
01/19/07 - The Senate Water, Energy, and Telecommunications Commitee passed the PBDE bill (SHB 5034) out of committee.
01/11/07 - The House Select Committee on Environmental Health passed the PBDE Bill (SHB 1024) out of committee.
History of this Legislation
Members of the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition advocated for passage of legislation to eliminate toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) in Washington State during the 2005 and 2006 legislative sessions. Unfortunately the Legislature failed to take action to protect us from these harmful chemicals.
HB1488/SB5515 passed through 5 committees of the Legislature in 2005.
An updated version of HB1488 was reintroduced
to the the state legislature in 2006. An amended version of the bill was passed by the House (97 yea, 0 nay, 1 excused).
The bill language was restored in the Senate Water, Energy, and Environment committee and E2SHB1488 was voted out of committee. Unfortunately, this bill was not sent to the Senate floor for a vote before the cut-off of the 2006 session. Despite having a majority of Senators pledging support for the bill, out-of-state chemical industry interests lobbied aggressively against the bill, spreading misinformation about its impacts, and convinced a few key Senators not to let the bill come up for a vote.
see our March, 2006 Press Release
Legislature Fails to Pass Important Measure to Protect Children's Health and the Environment from Toxic Flame Retardants (PBDEs)
Fire Protection Without Poisons
Companies Using Safer Alternatives
2007 Priorities for a Healthy Washington
