2026 -- H 7737

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LC004757

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- CONSUMER PFAS BAN ACT OF 2024

     Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Speakman, Bennett, and Spears

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2026

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 23-18.18-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-18.18 entitled

"Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-18.18-3. Definitions.

     As used in this chapter:

     (1) “Adult mattress” means a mattress other than a crib mattress or toddler mattress.

     (2) “Apparel” means any of the following:

     (i) Clothing items intended for regular wear or formal occasions, including, but not limited

to: undergarments, shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, overalls, bodysuits, costumes, vests, dancewear,

suits, saris, scarves, tops, leggings, school uniforms, leisurewear, athletic wear, sports uniforms,

everyday swimwear, formal wear, onesies, bibs, diapers, footwear, and everyday uniforms for

workwear. Clothing items intended for regular wear or formal occasions does not include personal

protective equipment or clothing items for exclusive use by the United States military; and

     (ii) Outdoor apparel.

     (3) “Artificial turf” means a man-made material that simulates the appearance of live turf,

organic turf, grass, sod, or lawn.

     (4) “Carpet” or “rug” means a consumer product made from natural or synthetic fabric

intended for use as a floor covering inside commercial or residential buildings. “Carpet or rug”

does not include:

     (i) A carpet or rug intended solely for outdoor use;

     (ii) A carpet or rug intended solely for use inside an aircraft, train, watercraft, automobile,

light duty truck, van, bus, or any other vehicle and any aftermarket or replacement part marketed

solely for use in a vehicle;

     (iii) A resilient floor covering;

     (iv) Artificial turf;

     (v) A wall hanging or covering;

     (vi) A table mat; or

     (vii) A camping sleeping mat.

     (5) “Cookware” means durable cookware items that are used in homes and restaurants to

prepare, dispense, or store food, foodstuffs, or beverages. “Cookware” includes pots, pans, skillets,

grills, baking sheets, baking molds, trays, bowls, and cooking utensils.

     (6) “Cosmetic” means:

     (i) Articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or

otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting

attractiveness, or altering the appearance; and

     (ii) Articles intended for use as a component of any such article; except that such term shall

not include soap.

     (7) “Covered product” means the following:

     (i) Artificial turf;

     (ii) Carpets or rugs;

     (iii) Cookware;

     (iv) Cosmetics;

     (v) Fabric treatments;

     (vi) Juvenile products;

     (vii) Menstrual products;

     (viii) Ski wax;

     (ix) Textile articles;

     (x) Firefighting personal protective equipment.

     (8) “Department” means the department of environmental management.

     (9) “Director” means the director of the department of environmental management.

     (10) “Fabric treatment” means a substance applied to fabric to give the fabric one or more

characteristics, including, but not limited to, stain resistance or water resistance.

     (11) “Ingredient” has the same meaning as defined in 21 C.F.R. Part 700 § 700.3(e) and

does not include any incidental ingredient as defined in 21 C.F.R. Part 701 § 701.3.

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     (12) “Intentionally added PFAS” means PFAS deliberately added to during the

manufacture of a covered product or one of its product components to provide a specific

characteristic, appearance, or quality or to perform a specific function. “Intentionally added PFAS”

also includes any degradation byproducts of PFAS or PFAS that are intentional breakdown

products of an added chemical. The use of PFAS as a processing agent, mold release agent, or

intermediate is considered intentional introduction for the purposes of this chapter where PFAS is

detected in the final covered product where the continued presence of PFAs is desired in the final

package or packaging component to perform a specific function.

     (13) “Juvenile product” means a product designed for use by infants and children under

twelve (12) years of age, including, but not limited to: a baby or toddler foam pillow, bassinet,

bedside sleeper, booster seat, changing pad, child restraint system for use in motor vehicles and

aircraft, co-sleeper, crib mattress, floor playmat, highchair, highchair pad, infant bouncer, infant

carrier, infant seat, infant sleep positioner, infant swing, infant travel bed, infant walker, nap cot,

nursing pad, nursing pillow, playmat, playpen, play yard, polyurethane foam mat, pad, or pillow,

portable foam nap mat, portable infant sleeper, portable hook-on chair, soft-sided portable crib,

stroller, and toddler mattress. “Juvenile product” shall not include any of the following:

     (i) A children’s electronic product, including, but not limited to: a personal computer, audio

and video equipment, calculator, wireless phone, game console, handheld device incorporating a

video screen, or any associated peripheral such as a mouse, keyboard, power supply unit, power

cord, film, camera, audio, visual, or imaging equipment or sensors;

     (ii) A medical device;

     (iii) An adult mattress; or

     (iv) Children’s electronic products containing integrated circuits, semiconductor package,

or device that contains a semiconductor chip.

     (14) “Manufacturer” means the person that manufactures a product or whose brand name

is affixed to the product. In the case of a product imported into the United States, “manufacturer”

includes the importer or first domestic distributor of the product if the person that manufactured or

assembled the product or whose brand name is affixed to the product does not have a presence in

the United States.

     (15) “Medical device” has the same meaning as the term “device” as defined in 21 U.S.C.

§ 321(h).

     (16) “Menstrual product” means a product used to collect menstruation and vaginal

discharge, including, but not limited to: tampons, pads, sponges, menstruation underwear, disks,

applicators, and menstrual cups, whether disposable or reusable.

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     (17) “Outdoor apparel” means clothing items intended primarily for outdoor activities,

including, but not limited to: hiking, camping, skiing, climbing, bicycling, and fishing.

     (18) “Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions” means apparel that are extreme and

extended use products designed for outdoor sports experts for applications that provide protection

against extended exposure to extreme rain conditions or against extended immersion in water or

wet conditions, such as from snow, in order to protect the health and safety of the user and that are

not marketed for general consumer use. Examples of extreme and extended use products include

outerwear for offshore fishing, offshore sailing, whitewater kayaking, and mountaineering.

     (19) “Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances” or “PFAS” means substances that

include any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully

fluorinated carbon atom.

     (20) “Personal protective equipment” means equipment worn to minimize exposure to

hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses that may result from contact with

chemical, radiological, physical, biological, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace or

professional hazards.

     (21) “Product” means an item manufactured, assembled, packaged, or otherwise prepared

for sale to consumers, including its product components, sold or distributed for personal or

residential use, including for use in making other products. “Product” does not mean used products

offered for sale or resale.

     (22) “Product component” means an identifiable component of a product, regardless of

whether the manufacturer of the product is the manufacturer of the component.

     (23) “Ski wax” means a lubricant applied to the bottom of snow runners, including, but not

limited to, skis and snowboards to improve their grip or glide properties. “Ski wax” includes related

tuning products.

     (24) “Textile” means any item made in whole or part from a natural, manmade, or synthetic

fiber, yarn, or fabric, and includes, but is not limited to: leather, cotton, silk, jute, hemp, wool,

viscose, nylon, or polyester. “Textile” does not include single-use paper hygiene products,

including, but not limited to: toilet paper, paper towels or tissues, or single-use absorbent hygiene

products.

     (25) “Textile articles” means textile goods of a type customarily and ordinarily used in

households and businesses, and include, but are not limited to: apparel, accessories, handbags,

backpacks, draperies, shower curtains, furnishings, upholstery, beddings, towels, napkins, and

tablecloths. “Textile articles” does not include:

     (i) A carpet or rug;

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     (ii) A treatment for use on covered textiles or leathers;

     (iii) A textile used in or designed for laboratory analysis and testing;

     (iv) A stadium shade or other architectural fabric structure; or

     (v) Filtration or separation media processing equipment and plumbing, or a filter product

used in industrial applications, including but not limited to, chemical or pharmaceutical

manufacturing and environmental control technologies.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- CONSUMER PFAS BAN ACT OF 2024

***

     This act would modify the definition of “intentionally added PFAS” to mean PFAS that

are deliberately added during the manufacturing of a covered product to perform a specific function.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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