On October 8, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he had vetoed three bills passed by California’s state legislature designed to restrict PFAS in certain consumer products. The three bills vetoed by Newsom are as follows:
- AB 727, which would have banned the manufacture and sale of cleaning products containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above a certain concentration beginning in 2026. The concentration threshold would have decreased over time to 10 ppm in 2028. The bill also would have banned the manufacture and sale of floor sealers and floor finishers containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 10 ppm beginning in 2028.
- AB 246, which would have banned the manufacture and sale of menstrual products containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 10 ppm beginning in 2025.
- AB 1423, which would have banned the manufacture, sale, or purchase of artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS or PFAS at or above 20 ppm beginning in 2026.
In his veto messages for each of the three bills, Newsom provided an identical rationale for his decision. Newsom wrote that he “strongly support[s] the author’s intent and [has] signed similar legislation in the past” but is concerned that the bill does not identify a regulatory agency to determine or enforce compliance with the proposed statute. According to Newsom, similar legislation that has been enacted without regulatory oversight has been challenging to implement due to inconsistent interpretations and confusion among manufacturers on how to comply. Newsom concluded each message by stating that he is directing the Department of Toxic Substances Control to work with the bill’s author and the legislature to consider other approaches to PFAS regulation.