On October 8, 2025, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) proposed rules to implement the state’s PFAS Protection Act (HB 212). In addition to phased-in prohibitions and reporting requirements, the proposal includes novel labeling requirements for all products containing intentionally added PFAS, with a compliance deadline of January 1, 2027.
HB 212 broadly defines PFAS as “a substance in a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.” This definition aligns with those adopted in other states—such as Maine and Minnesota—under their PFAS-in-products laws.
Labeling Requirements
Under the proposed rules, labels must:
- Inform customers in both English and Spanish that the product contains intentionally added PFAS.
- Use words and symbols approved by the department.
- Be “likely to be seen, read and understood by an ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase or use.”
- Be “sufficiently durable to remain legible for the useful life of the product.”
- Use a font size “no smaller than the largest font used for other consumer information on the product.”
For online or catalogue transactions, manufacturers or retailers must clearly disclose PFAS content to customers before purchase on sales literature, webpages, product specification sheets, and marketing materials, as applicable. If product packaging obscures a label on the product itself, the packaging must be labeled in a compliant manner.
Example Labels
In a September 25, 2025, webinar, NMED shared preliminary label designs that would meet the proposed requirements, shown below. The department emphasized that the graphics and language are not final.
Exemptions and Special Cases
Used products are exempt from the proposed labeling requirements. Manufacturers may also request a waiver for products in categories exempt from prohibition and reporting under HB 212—such as medical devices—if they can demonstrate that no PFAS will come into direct contact with consumers during intended use.
Complex durable goods and their components would be subject to alternative labeling requirements but would still need to inform customers of PFAS content.
If other states adopt PFAS labeling requirements, NMED’s proposal would allow manufacturers to comply by meeting comparable labeling rules in another state.
Opportunities for Engagement
- Public comment period: Open through March 31, 2026. Submit comments here.
- Virtual public meeting: October 22, 2025, at 1pm MT (3pm ET). Register here.
- Public hearing: Expected around February 18, 2026, per NMED’s public involvement plan.
- Final rule adoption: Expected by June 30, 2026.
For background on HB 212 and its broader PFAS restrictions, see our previous post.