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S 2792Product Safety

Health and Safety - Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024

This bill updates PFAS regulations to ban specific artificial turf, mandate apparel labeling, and exempt certain cosmetics and food-contact items.

Held for study
Population
Affected
35
Email Legislator
Introduced Mar 4, 2026Committee Senate Environment & Agriculture

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the "Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024" regarding the regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). It establishes a prohibition on the sale of artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2029. It also requires specific disclosure labels for outdoor apparel designed for severe wet conditions if they contain PFAS. Additionally, the bill provides exemptions for cosmetic products containing unavoidable trace amounts of PFAS due to manufacturing or packaging, as well as for durable goods authorized by the FDA for food contact.

For younger readers

This bill creates new rules for chemicals called PFAS, which are sometimes found in things we buy. It says that starting in 2029, companies cannot sell fake grass (artificial turf) if they put these chemicals in it on purpose. It also says that special heavy-duty raincoats must have a warning label if they are made with these chemicals. However, the bill allows makeup to have tiny, accidental amounts of these chemicals if it can't be helped. It also allows certain kitchen items to be sold if the government says they are safe for food.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Manufacturers of consumer goodsRetailersCosmetic companiesOutdoor apparel companiesConsumers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Bans the sale of artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS, reducing the introduction of toxic "forever chemicals" into community environments and water systems.
  • Mandates clear warning labels on outdoor apparel containing PFAS, empowering consumers to make informed choices and avoid supporting toxic manufacturing practices.
  • Maintains the state's authority to regulate harmful chemicals by establishing clear deadlines for compliance, ensuring that corporations are held accountable for product safety.
  • Creates a loophole for the cosmetic industry by exempting products with "unavoidable trace quantities" of PFAS, potentially allowing corporations to avoid strict decontamination processes.
  • Delays the ban on artificial turf and certain apparel until 2029, allowing several more years of environmental contamination and public exposure to these substances.
  • Exempts durable items authorized by the FDA, deferring to federal standards that may be less stringent or slower to update than state-level protections favored by environmental advocates.
For Conservatives
  • Protects businesses from liability and recall costs by creating reasonable exemptions for cosmetics containing trace impurities that are technically unavoidable during manufacturing.
  • Aligns state regulations with federal standards by exempting durable food-contact items authorized by the FDA, preventing a confusing patchwork of state-specific bans.
  • Allows the continued sale of specialized outdoor apparel for severe weather (with a label) rather than imposing a total ban, preserving consumer choice and market availability.
  • Imposes government mandates on private businesses by banning specific products like artificial turf, interfering with the free market and property rights.
  • Requires compelled speech through mandatory labeling on outdoor apparel, adding compliance costs and regulatory burdens to manufacturers and retailers.
  • Grants the state director broad authority to demand certification and issue notifications to sellers, expanding bureaucratic oversight and potential harassment of businesses.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 4 additions

SECTION 1. Section 23-18.18-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-18.18 entitled "Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024" is hereby amended to read as follows: 23-18.18-4. Prohibition on use of PFAS.

(a) Except as provided otherwise in this section, on and after January 1, 2027, no person shall manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in the state any covered product that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.

(b) Except as provided otherwise in this section, on and after January 1, 2029, no person shall manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in the state:

(1) Artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS; or

(2) Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions containing intentionally added PFAS, unless it is accompanied by a legible, easily discernable disclosure that includes the following statement: “Made with PFAS chemicals.”

(c) If the department has reason to believe that a covered product contains intentionally added PFAS and the covered product is being offered for sale in the state, the director may direct the manufacturer of the product to, within thirty (30) days:

(1) Provide the director a certificate attesting that the covered product does not contain intentionally added PFAS; or

(2) Notify persons who sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale a covered product prohibited under subsection (a) of this section, that the sale of that covered product is prohibited in this state and provide the director with a list of the names and addresses of those notified.

(d) The director may notify persons who sell or offer for sale a product prohibited under subsection (a) of this section, that the sale of that product is prohibited in this state.

(e) This section shall not apply to the sale or resale of used products.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, if a cosmetic product made through manufacturing processes intended to comply with this section contains an unavoidable trace quantity of PFAS that is attributable to impurities of natural or synthetic ingredients, the manufacturing process, storage or migration from packaging, or other such unintentional and unavoidable origin, such unavoidable trace quantity shall not cause the cosmetic product to be in violation of this section.

(g) Products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS used as durable items that the United Stated Food and Drug Administration authorizes for food contact for consumer goods shall be exempt from this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.