New law makes Washington the first state in the nation to tackle PFAS in broad range of products such as apparel, cosmetics, and firefighter gear by 2025

Today, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill (HB 1694) into law that will tackle PFAS “forever chemicals” in a broad range of products on the fastest timeline in the nation, by 2025. Product categories include apparel, cosmetics, and firefighter personal protective equipment. Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle) sponsored the measure, which received broad bipartisan support.

The passage of this bill follows a peer-reviewed study led by scientists at Toxic-Free Future (TFF), the University of Washington, and Indiana University that found PFAS in 100% of breast milk samples from 50 mothers in and around Seattle, WA. And, earlier this year, TFF released a study that found PFAS in most products labeled stain- and water-resistant.

In response to the bill becoming law today, the following statements were released:

“This new law keeps Washington state leading the nation with actions to stop the flow of toxic PFAS into products that leave a trail of pollution from start to finish,” said Laurie Valeriano, executive director, Toxic-Free Future. “There is broad bipartisan agreement that these chemicals should be phased out and replaced with safer alternatives. Prevention is the key to keeping these dangerous chemicals from contaminating homes, drinking water, and breast milk. We thank Representatives Berry and Fitzgibbon and Senators Das and Lovelett for their leadership and thank the Governor for signing this important measure into law.”