Update: California State Assembly passed bill banning PFAS in textiles

The California State Assembly passed the Safer Clothes and Textiles Act this past Tuesday, which would end the use of PFAS in new fabrics and textiles in the Golden State beginning January 1, 2025. Scientists have found links between exposures to PFAS and a wide range of health problems including hormone disruption, birth defects, and cancer.

Specifically, the bill would ban the manufacture, distribution, sale, or offering for sale of any new textiles containing regulated PFAS. It would also require manufacturers to use the least toxic alternative when removing PFAS from their textiles to comply with the bill. California has been a national leader on confronting the PFAS crisis, with laws addressing food packaging and children’s toys passing just last year. Banning PFAS in textiles not only helps prevent direct exposure to toxic PFAS, but also helps reduce the flow of PFAS into drinking water. 

The Safer Clothes and Textiles Act now heads to Governor Newsom’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.