On Tuesday, the New York State Senate passed a bill which prohibits the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — dubbed “forever chemicals” — in apparel.
The bill (formally S.6291 or A.7063-A) was introduced in April 2021 and is backed by Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy and State Sen. Brad Hoylman. Last week, the Assembly voted to approve the bill and now the legislation will head toward Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for approval or rejection.
Other types of PFAs have long been banned but the efforts in New York State aim to exemplify practices nationwide, as the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency tries to crack down on the substances.
Already, PFAs are limited in food packaging in New York, after a bill S.8817 / A.4739-C spearheaded by Sen. Hoylman and Assemblywoman Fahy passed in 2020. Similar to that bill, the apparel bill focuses on “intentionally added chemical” or those that serve an intended function in the product. For common apparel, that includes clothing for regular and formal wear but not specialty performance apparel.
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If passed by the end of the current legislative season ending next week, the bill’s proposed effective date is Dec. 31, 2023. Bills like the Model Alliance-backed “Fashion Workers Act” and “Fashion Act” may see another season ahead.
In a letter to the New York State legislature earlier this month, The American Apparel and Footwear Association vied for consideration of Jan. 1, 2027, as the effective date to allow the fashion industry time for “adequate time for research, development and implementation of alternative chemicals, as well as suitable time to transition our supply chains [away from PFAs],” in the words of president and CEO Stephen Lamar.
“Collectively we support responsible regulatory requirements that are protective of human health and the environment,” Lamar wrote. “Our members are leading efforts to aggressively phase out the use of intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals with a goal of a complete phase-out by 2027 of intentionally added PFAS chemicals in our products.”
But PFAs are just one topic of interest.
Also on Tuesday, as news broke of another deadly shooting, this time at a Texas elementary school, Gov. Kathy Hochul said abortion rights and gun laws will be prioritized among New York lawmakers before the legislative session comes to a close next week.