Calif. Lawmakers May Stop Requiring Chemical Flame Retardants In Furniture

SACRAMENTO (AP) — California is publishing regulations that, if passed, would stop requiring makers of furniture and baby changing pads to use chemical flame retardants in their products.

The regulations published Friday by the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation come after decades of complaints about the chemicals', known as PBDEs and TDCPP, or tris, spread into the environment.

California, which passed its flammability standards in 1975, is the only U.S. state with a mandatory flammability standard for residential furniture, a rule that has become the de facto standard for the rest of the nation.

The new rules come after a federal study found no significant difference in the flammability of foams treated with chemical retardants and those without.

The regulations will go through public comment and require approval of the state Office of Administrative Law.

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