Committee releases bill limiting PFAS in menstrual products after technical amendments
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Summary
The committee advanced A3125, which limits PFAS in menstrual products; environmental advocates highlighted health risks of 'forever chemicals,' while industry sought a technical definition change to align with existing statute.
The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee voted to release Assembly Bill 31 25 as amended; the bill limits per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in menstrual products and includes a clarified definition.
Luke Adams of Environment New Jersey told the committee that PFAS are ‘‘forever chemicals’’ that persist in the environment and have been linked, he said, to cancers, hormone disruptions and lower birth weights; he urged the committee to curb direct-body exposures by banning PFAS in menstrual products. Adams cited state scientists and the Environmental Working Group to note PFAS contamination of drinking-water sources in New Jersey.
Ed Woodard, senior director of government affairs for the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, said the council supports the bill but requested a technical amendment: that the bill reference an existing statutory definition for when a substance is ‘‘intentionally added’’ versus a trace contaminant, to ensure consistency with an earlier statute signed this year. Committee members accepted the amendment and voted to release the bill as amended.
The clerk announced Assembly Bill 31 25 is released as amended and will proceed to the Assembly floor for further consideration.
