On 17 March 2015, the Council of the District of Columbia drafts the Bill B21-143 to amend the Human and Environmental Health Protection Act of 2010, aiming to prohibit the use of two flame retardants (TDCPP and TCEP) in all products. The council unanimously approved the bill’s first reading.

The Bill sets forth the following:

• after 1 January 2018, no person or legal entity shall manufacture, sell, offer for sale, 22 or distribute any children’s product or residential upholstered furniture containing more than 0.1% by mass in any product component of TDCPP and TCEP;
• after 1 January 2019, no person or legal entity shall manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or distribute any product (except to exemptions) containing more than 0.1% by mass in any product component of TDCPP and TCEP.

The exemption scope covers motor vehicles, commercial or residential building insulation or wiring, desktop and laptop computers, audio and video equipment, cables, wireless telephones and other electrical and electronic equipment.

Given passed on the second reading, the proposal will head to the Governor. Here it can be signed, allowed to become effective without a signature, or vetoed. The measure would then need to go before the US Congress for 30-day consideration before becoming law.

US states are always strict with control on flame retardants. C&K Testing advises manufacturers to control the use of flame retardants and seek for safer alternatives to avoid risks.

【中文版】

Further information
Bill B21-143