Environmental health: product safety: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Senator Allen’s proposal ties a phased PFAS phaseout to a concrete timetable that bans the sale or distribution of certain consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS, beginning in 2028 for cleaning products, dental floss, juvenile products, food packaging, and ski wax, and extending to cookware in 2030.

The measure defines a set of terms and scope to enable the prohibitions. A “2028 product” includes the listed categories, and a “cleaning product” is defined with exclusions for certain batteries and battery components. The bill also defines “component,” “inaccessible electronic component,” and “internal mechanical component” to address PFAS that might be present in parts rather than the finished product. Prohibitions apply to distributing, selling, or offering for sale a 2028 product or a cookware product that contains intentionally added PFAS, with exceptions for previously used products and where federal law preempts state authority. Until January 1, 2031, certain cleaning-product components may be exempt from the prohibition. Cleaning products introduced on or after 2028 must comply with applicable California Air Resources Board VOC regulations, and the use of regulatory variances to meet those standards is prohibited. Cookware would be prohibited from containing intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2030, with the same exceptions.

Enforcement and compliance mechanisms are maintained within the department’s existing authority, including product testing, notices of violation, and administrative penalties. By early 2029, the department would publish on its website an accepted-methods list for testing compliance and appropriate third-party accreditation for laboratories. Regulation of registration would be specified but the bill also allows some changes to timing and fees, including requiring manufacturers to provide a certificate of compliance upon request rather than by a fixed deadline and exempting certain manufacturers from registration and registration-fee requirements. The department is authorized to adopt regulations to administer these provisions by 2029.

The bill situates the actions within broader concerns about PFAS persistence and exposure, citing findings that PFAS contamination is widespread in water and people, and that nonessential PFAS uses should be phased out to prevent environmental and health impacts. The authors frame the proposal as aligning with an essential-use framework and as a state-level step to reduce PFAS introductions through consumer products, while noting potential interactions with federal preemption considerations and existing PFAS enforcement authorities. The proposal complements ongoing state regulatory efforts by adding defined product categories, timelines, and Department of Toxic Substances Control enforcement mechanisms to prohibit intentionally added PFAS in specified products.