[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6252041,"mediaKeyId","3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe","parentId",3191725,"title","Advisory council hears legislative roundup; AB 2998 would expand flame‑retardant limits, bill for bureau name change advances","audioSeconds",715,"startMs",2499000,"endMs",3214000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe&start=2499&end=3214","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe/thumbnail_2499000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252041/California/Advisory-council-hears-legislative-roundup-AB-2998-would-expand-flameretardant-limits-bill-for-bureau-name-change-advances","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252041-6d6f62708cb700f5626c4f95b9232ffe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198337&Signature=bfkJNJ5WrNhgt-xPrrP1w7YnoR~iXGvsET--KQtM0Fp0g3wYAat277yjUhrZXniWK5kl37EL9lmciUrpsFaJnnJt2RVjtBx2-azePZFmRars3dR-O~SUBHDzOIAHj70giHnWszflMsXqFwKcDGFmKp0Pxxz7BFbVhbehB1yaIrF3j--ISViM-KOYco34BvnoOeHLQ5HDTzsJoYUxnILcMkyivGBL-UELS1mzamWJnK0gu5Qf9HYslfLYWGQOZJYIqNDTH-oZLgwgUa76~nVjbcZjWKIpByANdodX2GEwy0Vft~sGQ~VeUcj4L5tNtEgCVRmpdT0Mko-n~Jfy8i6Hqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bureau of Household Goods and Services","date","2025-05-05T17:25:05.467Z","article","Staff gave the council a legislative update summarizing bills of interest to the bureau and the advisory council.

Fauna Lamar, legislative analyst for the Department of Consumer Affairs, reviewed the legislative calendar and highlighted several bills. AB 2110 (Right to Repair, Eggman) was reported as not moving (died in the first house policy committee). AB 2998 (Bloom) was described as a bill that, as amended, would prohibit the use of specified flame‑retardant chemicals above a concentration threshold (1,000 parts per million) in juvenile products, mattresses and reupholstered furniture and would require the bureau to expand testing required by SB 1019. Lamar said AB 2998 had been amended several times, added coauthors and clarified scope and exemptions; at the meeting the bill’s appropriations hearing scheduling appeared uncertain and Lamar said she would confirm the hearing status.

Lamar reported SB 840 (Mitchell), a budget trailer bill enacted as part of the 2018 budget act, had granted the bureau spending authority to administer the household movers program and provided an appropriation of $2,455,000; the bill took effect July 1. She also described SB 1483 (Sunset bill) as proposing the bureau’s sunset review date and outlining amendments to service contractor and custom upholsterer rules; Lamar said a name change to “Bureau of Household Goods and Services” was being discussed and had traction but had not yet been incorporated into bill language at the time of the meeting.

Council members asked about fiscal and enforcement implications if AB 2998 passed. Pascal Beniamini (industry) asked about implementation; Lamar and Chief Oliver said the bureau had discussed likely needs (investigator and staff positions) to implement post‑passage enforcement and recommended staffing requests; Chief Oliver said DCA had identified possible needs and that one special investigator plus additional administrative support were being requested in fiscal planning.

No votes were taken by the council; the briefing was informational and the bureau said it would update the council as bills moved and as agency fiscal analyses were finalized.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation August 2, 2018","oneSentenceSummary","Legislative staff briefed the advisory council on several bills affecting the bureau: AB 2998 would expand limits on flame retardant chemicals in juvenile products and mattresses if enacted; SB 840 granted the bureau spending authority for the household movers program; SB 1483 would set a sunset review and has prompted discussion of a bureau name change.","taxTitle","Bureau of Household Goods and Services, Other State Agencies, Executive, California","taxId",76750,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252042,"Bureau files TB133/TB117 rulemaking materials; public comment period and September hearing scheduled",199,5829000,6028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe&start=5829&end=6028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe/thumbnail_5829000.jpg","/articles/6252042/California/Bureau-files-TB133TB117-rulemaking-materials-public-comment-period-and-September-hearing-scheduled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252042-6c49ff03c7cca0612947c64174661423/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198337&Signature=M~i~pfZZ~4DhgTiy~YuN0-YyAiPQyJkLkXz3JerSxyJTq~~Jx-Qz7gsX~t2G0lFBv4Xr7ecup-n08ICVPmCa7g~F9tpKi-qyOF5zgWD48v5LSNiSFg8aUlKIc~UDP5Ztc0UW1EIGWosFhVmbbaNw4ebxRZmNM37gHABvs0VfCKUcLQE0CkstYUQoAQsBgVw3K3RHD5tcRq3XV8FD8kdsc3gtSl04WLma2o8Pg~ZgfncWIpbia-T7VHp09~JKx9Qt4lzu4piJT-rltfsmP8Fcfbj6Olqig9-09bLTC0RtS-z1~0rIq28KGLPaRdiI7OouO07v0X~It51ReX4TLmo67Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The bureau told the Advisory Council that its proposed amendments to the flammability regulations (including changes related to TB133/TB117) have been filed with the Office of Administrative Law and that the draft Initial Statement of Reasons and a negative declaration under CEQA were filed with the Office of Planning and Research.

Donald Watts of the licensing unit said the public review period for the rulemaking and the CEQA documents is open and that all comments must be received by close of business on September 17. The bureau will hold a public hearing on September 17 at 9:00 a.m. in the same meeting room; the hearing will be teleconferenced and webcasted for accessibility.

Watts said the bureau will categorize and respond to comments after the close of the public comment period. If the bureau completes the Final Statement of Reasons and submits to the Office of Administrative Law by the end of November, the amendments would take effect January 1; if the November 30 filing deadline is missed, the rule changes would take effect on the following quarter (April 1), Watts said.

Council members were directed to the materials packet (page 48) for the proposed changes and were told how to submit public comments by mail, fax or email. Watts said the amount of time needed to complete final rulemaking materials will depend on the volume of public comments received and the complexity of responses required.

No vote was taken. The bureau asked stakeholders to submit comments by the September 17 deadline and said it will post responses in the Final Statement of Reasons as required by rulemaking procedures.","The bureau filed proposed regulatory changes and environmental documentation for TB133/TB117-related flammability rules; a public hearing and comment period were announced with a September 17 deadline for comments and potential rule effectiveness in January or April depending on administrative timelines.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252043,"Bureau takes over household movers program, issues permits and steps up enforcement on hostage‑storage scams",364,5994000,6358000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe&start=5994&end=6358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe/thumbnail_5994000.jpg","/articles/6252043/California/Bureau-takes-over-household-movers-program-issues-permits-and-steps-up-enforcement-on-hostagestorage-scams","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252043-e68471a7f8304a0126b8d73fa96321db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198337&Signature=UtZ-mm7nJ~fEjD0oxmm7VJRQnvxi6K~v~bTxmLpmSIJrWTTq4wUOcTdvAY-A-VOddFR2wJRLtyr95uoZCsn77lRt4bDCntd7RLHHYP5jD-6-TAQcYqqi49dYKHxi1K-bvgsWyMfDIs97-jrkeYAzm5KOPD5VXXcn7j3UiSMomSAFpJMS13TQS11WxwX5f1zkE6Dr1m9vUjZTC55I-GVR0OvnFRxSA0wQnF0Nm1r7PV-fQ4Td4yKX1Co8QmF9OUkrXAvc-VpYDRd3vK0D7UdJmwxYFBKsQElez8i5a3KUv7VzKwoxZS76PzxbXTbtJlz-PTrez3qw99E~~5LvxtBOTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bureau reported that it assumed administration of the Household Movers program on July 1 and has begun licensing, outreach and enforcement work to address so‑called \"hostage\" moving cases in which customers' goods are held in storage by unlicensed operators.

Jacqueline Castro, who presented licensing updates, said the bureau received approximately 15–20 new applications and issued 15 household mover permits inherited from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) transfer. The bureau has published the CPUC Household Movers Act handbook online, made tariff tables available at no cost to applicants, and is retaining the CPUC exam while it develops new computer‑based testing scheduled for January 2019. Four exam dates were scheduled (two in Sacramento and two in Southern California), Castro said.

Council members asked whether the initial approved permits were carry‑overs from CPUC applications; Castro confirmed the 15 issued permits were in process under CPUC before the transfer and that the bureau had 15–20 new applications submitted directly to the bureau since the takeover.

Bureau staff and council members described an increase in consumer complaints about interstate moving operators who pick up shipments and then place goods in storage without delivery (commonly described to the council as \"hostage\" holdings). Bureau Chief Nicholas Oliver and staff said the bureau has been intervening to assist consumers, including conducting stings, working with consumers to reclaim household goods and, where appropriate, coordinating with federal law enforcement. Chief Oliver said one national ring was recently the subject of federal action in the Southern District of Ohio after bureau involvement.

Council members praised the bureau for stepping into enforcement on interstate hostage moves after years of perceived gaps under prior jurisdictional approaches. The bureau said it will continue partnering with federal agencies, including FMCSA and other federal authorities, and with industry groups to improve compliance and consumer protections.

The bureau additionally committed to outreach and education tied to the household movers transition, including continued distribution of consumer handouts and enhanced social media and media outreach. Council members suggested adding materials and crosslinks on emergency preparedness, trafficking awareness and fire‑safety/evacuation guidance to mover outreach materials; bureau staff said they will explore those links with relevant state emergency and public‑safety offices.

No formal vote was taken; the bureau described licensing progress and ongoing enforcement actions and said it will update the council at future meetings.","After absorbing the Household Movers program July 1, the bureau reported it has issued initial permits, scheduled exams, and begun enforcement against interstate 'hostage' moves; staff said cooperating with federal authorities and expanding outreach are priorities.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252045,"Bureau lab reports most furniture samples passed flammability tests; DTSC finds three samples with added flame retardants",220,988000,1208000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe&start=988&end=1208","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe/thumbnail_988000.jpg","/articles/6252045/California/Bureau-lab-reports-most-furniture-samples-passed-flammability-tests-DTSC-finds-three-samples-with-added-flame-retardants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252045-9b927518181dedb39c878e6532f7fdf9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198337&Signature=WK4Jk98c9wt9Lp2JwAOV5k1~pVY83z2jOUraEhI0wOdenSrUN6WsnJoXD0w6qD09CayZXcndALKOayYBtvBWEKnaoCI0l~8FtcvgcYoR6RRxHklR~NCkZZ14S4DxXCdbR4XkbrYir1THfKY9Cih51j7Xqr3Wa5sg3HqhAtSxACtiiktW5zSkCxgqQY1BS8Y~MmLkgTUKvBeflMgyegkNJaTSXbZBsRa57fQjLZZCohqq~BDsWeT-omev~Y1Zo0~InRc74gA5rT84oX19rXM-8o~2gnoX6zbCfi0P9TlD92iXGb0RRTjCz9onQxPopBSAlJR66iHkcg8q0KQKhdgqBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The bureau’s testing laboratory reported to the Advisory Council that the majority of furniture and mattress samples submitted during fiscal 2017–2018 passed required flammability tests, while a targeted chemical analysis found a small number of samples contained added flame‑retardant chemicals.

Sue Xu, the bureau’s testing laboratory engineer, told the council the lab received 137 furniture samples for TB 117‑2013 smoldering tests; 95 percent of completed furniture samples passed. For full‑scale mattress flammability testing (16 CFR 1630), 84 percent of the 69 completed tests passed. The lab also completed a range of label reviews and other tests that were reported to the council.

Xu said the bureau requested chemical screening from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on a subset of 40 samples that had manufacturer documentation; DTSC analysis showed 34 of the 40 samples contained no added flame retardant chemicals and 3 samples contained added flame retardants; three remaining tests were pending at the time of the presentation. “Available results provided by DTSC showed that 34 out of 40 samples passed the AR analysis and contained no added AFR chemical. 3 samples contained added AFR chemicals,” Xu said.

Council members asked whether failed samples lead to enforcement. Xu and Bureau Chief Nicholas Oliver said failed lab results are forwarded to the bureau’s enforcement unit; enforcement then determines next steps. Shalom Rojas Cardenas of the enforcement unit told the council the bureau forwards cases to the Attorney General’s Office in specific circumstances such as license denials appealed after criminal‑history findings; one case had been forwarded for the 2017–2018 fiscal year and one was pending at the time of the meeting.

A council member asked whether lab test results and related citations are publicly available. Xu said settled cases and finalized enforcement actions are posted on the bureau website but that posting can take time while the agency coordinates with manufacturers and retailers.

Members asked about sample selection and whether the bureau distinguishes domestic versus imported products in the sampling. Xu said the 40 DTSC samples were chosen with some material‑type targeting (foam, batting, shredded foam) and were generally randomly selected from different manufacturers; she said a manufacturer breakdown (importer vs U.S. manufacturer) was not currently in the published summary but the lab would investigate whether that breakdown could be produced in future reporting.

Council members requested regular follow‑up on enforcement outcomes for failed samples and asked the lab to report back at the next meeting on rechecks, re‑inspections and enforcement trajectory. The lab said the bureau has a contract for chemical testing and has increased the testing budget for the current fiscal year to expand pre‑screening and sample testing.","Lab testing presented to the advisory council showed high pass rates for furniture flammability tests; 40 samples were sent to the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for chemical analysis, with 34 confirmed free of added flame retardants and 3 confirmed containing added flame retardants; failed cases were forwarded to enforcement.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252046,"California bureau study finds fire-barrier rule’s costs exceed benefits under baseline assumptions",2550,2015000,4565000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe&start=2015&end=4565","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191725-9faae3d547f111697d265470902b94fe/thumbnail_2015000.jpg","/articles/6252046/California/California-bureau-study-finds-fire-barrier-rules-costs-exceed-benefits-under-baseline-assumptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252046-471e9ef7539657febc0ea240c9222ac3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198337&Signature=lkTQgA7E4YDaVpw4TCCvm72e7YH3v1aqq64dweVqOrdfE-EfhvopG4uKG5ZzUZpBNrXboqZkp0vGI8vwlqIINJlgy~JvBvJ6pq3T4ZFyvJ8U0mVCoeLE1uLt2WBUd5Oo~U~E20ySrcgactvrhzTQsdR0LfxbFb0Vk1BjMzHQduB9vBrXpak1qRLQh-m3b1dNi4lJA99X0MlYcwNcQjgIsT-UqMs~Bg7urApGFo~wZIn3O4v4ncoamG3jpL1JyhMhKU~84qc6bqI7dY5--Gpyms6qRf~klMsserlPaaBLUYHOKq-QSJ3pcvSiKwQMXGAOlnEgIyuW7Q8v2PxUIO7r3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A cost‑benefit analysis presented to the Bureau Advisory Council on August 1 found the projected costs of a proposed fire‑barrier performance standard for upholstered furniture exceed the estimated benefits under the study’s baseline assumptions.

The analysis, presented by Nathan Fessler, a graduate student working with Professor Rossner, estimated annualized benefits to California households from reduced deaths, injuries and property losses and compared those to the anticipated increase in manufacturing costs and state enforcement testing. “From a benefit cost analysis perspective, just this perspective alone, we don't find any evidence for the adoption of the 5‑area performance standard,” Fessler told the council.

The study modeled two ignition scenarios where fire barriers could matter: (1) an upholstered item ignited first by an open flame and (2) upholstered furniture that contributes significantly to room fire spread and time to egress. The presenters used state fire data (2010–2016) as the primary input, adopted a 19 percent risk‑reduction assumption drawn from Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) precedent, and ran sensitivity checks including an alternative, larger fire‑loss baseline. Even with aggressive alternative assumptions, the report found costs exceeded benefits in the scenarios presented.

Council members and external participants pressed the presenters on inputs and uncertainty. Antoinette Stein (Environmental Health Trust) and others questioned whether the model adequately accounted for public‑health impacts related to flame retardant chemicals or recent trends in electrically actuated furniture; Fessler and Professor Rossner said those effects were not included because the bureau lacks direct authority to regulate chemical content and because data tying chemical exposure changes to the proposed standard were not available to the authors.

Andrew Locke of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said national CPSC estimates differ from the state figures used in the study and suggested CPSC staff would examine the model; Fessler and Rossner said the study’s Excel model and a report will be posted on the bureau website to allow external re‑weighting and alternate inputs. Rossner said the authors aimed for transparency: “We did not want to do [a] black box,” he said, and encouraged stakeholders to run alternate datasets through the spreadsheet.

The bureau told the council the full cost‑benefit report, a 30–40 page technical paper and supporting Excel worksheets will be posted on the bureau website and distributed via the bureau listserv. The presentation did not propose immediate regulatory action; it was provided as a technical input for the bureau’s larger barrier study and any policy decision would require bureau staff, stakeholder review and possible rulemaking.

Questions from council members included requests to test the model with national datasets (for example NFPA/CPSC weighted series) and to examine whether barriers affect fires caused by embedded electrical systems or arson. Presenters said the model can accept alternate inputs and that they would make the spreadsheet available for independent testing.

The bureau did not announce a formal decision at the meeting. The study is being added to the bureau record for use in future regulatory analysis and stakeholder discussion.","A benefit‑cost analysis presented to the Bureau Advisory Council concluded that adopting a fire‑barrier performance standard for upholstered furniture would not produce net benefits under the study’s baseline and most sensitivity scenarios; authors published their modeling materials for independent review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advisory council hears legislative roundup; AB 2998 would expand flame‑retardant limits, bill for bureau name change advances

Bureau files TB133/TB117 rulemaking materials; public comment period and September hearing scheduled

Bureau takes over household movers program, issues permits and steps up enforcement on hostage‑storage scams

Bureau lab reports most furniture samples passed flammability tests; DTSC finds three samples with added flame retardants

California bureau study finds fire-barrier rule’s costs exceed benefits under baseline assumptions