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California's New Furniture Flame Retardant Act Is Resisted
California's Senate recently passed the New Furniture Flame Retardant Act, which mandates that soft furniture manufacturers stop using chemical flame retardants. This development has sparked strong opposition from two major industry groups: the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) and the North American Home Furnishings Association (NAHFA). The bill, now under scrutiny, is being challenged by industry leaders who argue it imposes unnecessary burdens on retailers and manufacturers.
The Home Furnishings Alliance, along with the North American Furniture Association and the Polyurethane Foam Association (PFA), has joined forces to oppose the legislation. In a joint statement, they criticized the law as impractical and unfair, claiming it goes beyond its original intent. "While we support the legislative goal of improving safety, the new bill requires that upholstered furniture contain no chemical flame retardants at all—this is too extreme," they said.
The act was introduced by State Senator Mark Leno and aims to update California’s current furniture safety standards. Under existing regulations, furniture sold in the state must include a "long supplement" that lists whether it contains flame retardant chemicals. The new law would also require a written warning about the potential health risks of these chemicals, as well as a statement clarifying that they do not significantly improve fire safety.
This regulation applies to 15 U.S. states, which require products like mattresses, bedding, and even toys containing cushioning materials to be registered with their respective consumer protection agencies. These labels are meant to inform consumers about the health and fire safety aspects of the products they purchase.
In addition, the new bill would force retailers to provide the same detailed label at every point of sale. Industry representatives argue that this creates an unrealistic burden, as it is nearly impossible for retailers to fully control the additives used in each product. They warn that even minor oversight could lead to unfair penalties.
The law was originally passed by the California legislature in November 2013 with strong support, and was set to take effect on January 1, 2015. It aimed to replace the traditional "open flame test" with a "smolder test" for upholstered furniture. While the new standard does not outright ban flame retardant chemicals, it allows products to pass the test without the use of such additives, offering a more flexible and potentially safer approach.