The mayor of the District of Columbia has signed a bill to ban two chlorinated flame retardants from most household items on 17 March 2016..

The Carcinogenic Flame Retardant Prohibition Amendment Act (B21-143) prohibits the manufacture, sale or distribution of products containing TDCPP and TCEP:

• in children's products and residential upholstered furniture, at concentrations above 0.1% by mass, by 1 January 2018; and
• in “any product containing more than 0.1% by mass in any product component”, with some exceptions, by 1 January 2019.

The measure also outlines hazard criteria that limit which replacement substances may be used.

The District is set to join several other states, including Maryland, Minnesota and New York, in restricting the chemicals’ use.

Pursuant to laws governing the District of Columbia, the measure will be subject to a 30-day review by Congress before it can become law.