Senators and stakeholders spent an extended portion of a committee hearing discussing Senate Bill S1042, legislation to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in certain consumer products and to require DEP actions related to PFAS risks and remediation.

Senator Linda Greenstein (sponsor co-lead in remarks) framed PFAS as “forever chemicals” linked in studies to cancers, thyroid disorders and other health risks, and said the bill aims to remove PFAS from categories such as carpeting, cosmetics and food packaging while allowing warnings for certain cookware. The sponsor said she is considering amendments to narrow or exempt federally regulated medical products, food packaging where federal preemption applies, and chemicals covered under EPA’s SNAP program; she also removed an earlier manufacturer reporting/fee requirement from the draft.

Environmental and public-health groups urged a strong, comprehensive approach. Molly Cleary of Clean Water Action and Angelie Ramos of the Sierra Club urged retention of a robust definition of PFAS and opposed a broad exemption for fluoropolymers. “We are strongly against fluoropolymer exemptions,” Cleary said, urging language that prevents loopholes such as flexible “unavoidable trace quantity” definitions.

Healthcare stakeholders and industry groups urged narrow exemptions for FDA-regulated medical devices and pharmaceuticals and for predictability on inventory sell-through and enforcement timing. Kyle Solander of the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey told the committee that small changes in regulated medical products can have immediate patient-access consequences and asked that those federal regulatory contexts be preserved.

Several witnesses urged that DEP be properly resourced if the agency is to take on expanded duties. Testimony also emphasized state-level action in the face of federal regulatory uncertainty.

The sponsor asked stakeholders to supply concrete amendment language and said she would continue stakeholder meetings in hopes of producing compromise amendments. No committee vote on S1042 occurred at this hearing; senators indicated follow-up stakeholder work and potential future amendments.