Understanding PFAS

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large class of synthetic fluorinated chemicals used for water resistance, stain resistance, grease resistance, and non-stick coatings. Maine's law, for example, defines PFAS as any fluorinated organic chemical containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom (38 MRSA §1614(1)). Federally, EPA requires a one-time report under TSCA section 8(a)(7) (40 CFR part 705); see Understanding PFAS state requirements. The product restrictions come from the states.

Product categories that state PFAS laws name include:

• Apparel and other textile articles
• Carpets and rugs, upholstered furniture, and textile furnishings
• Cookware
• Cosmetics
• Food packaging
• Juvenile and children's products
• Cleaning products

Which categories apply, and from when, differs by state.

Examples of state laws (not a complete list):

• California — textile articles, including apparel, may not contain regulated PFAS from January 1, 2025 (Health and Safety Code 108971); cosmetics may not contain intentionally added PFAS from January 1, 2025 (HSC 108981.5)
• Maine (38 MRSA §1614) — phased sales bans on intentionally added PFAS, ending with all remaining products from 2032. Notification to Maine DEP applies only to products the department has determined to be a currently unavoidable use; there is no general annual disclosure. On request, a certificate of no intentionally added PFAS must be provided within 30 days
• Minnesota (Minn. Stat. §116.943, "Amara's Law") — 11 product categories banned from January 1, 2025, all remaining products from 2032 unless the use is a currently unavoidable use, and a report to the MPCA on products with intentionally added PFAS (see PFAS state-by-state filing checklist for the deadline)
• New York (ECL 37-0121) — apparel with intentionally added PFAS from January 1, 2025; outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions from January 1, 2028
• Washington (RCW 70A.350; WAC 173-337-110) — restrictions and reporting duties set product by product, with dates from 2025 onward
• Colorado (C.R.S. 25-15-604) — bans phased in from 2024 (HB 22-1345) and extended to cookware and other products from January 1, 2026 (SB 24-081)
• Connecticut — food packaging with intentionally added PFAS (Public Act 21-191), and notification or labeling for a list of product categories from July 1, 2026, with sales bans from January 1, 2028 (Public Act 24-59)

WARNING: Most of these laws turn on intentionally added PFAS. California's textile rule also counts PFAS measured as total organic fluorine at or above 100 ppm (from 2025) and 50 ppm (from 2027), whether or not anyone added it on purpose (HSC 108970(g)). See Total organofluorine (TOF) testing for PFAS.