Support AB 706

The new improved AB 706 is now pending in the California Senate. If you live in California, please consider making a call to your State Senator as below as soon as possible. AB 706 will increase fire safety and stop the addiont of toxic fire retardants to furniture and baby products in California. There are talking points below. You can follow this link to find a phone number for your State Senator: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Talking points: Why support AB706


1. AB 706 will end the use of toxic fire retardants in baby and children's products by July 1, 2009. The Juvenile Products Association support this because there is no data suggesting that these products are a source of fires in our homes.

2. AB 706 maintains or increases fire safety by harmonizing the new California flammability standard for furniture with the proposed federal furniture standard by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Since fires begin in fabric not foam, this will address many times more fires deaths than the current TB117 foam standard. There is no fire data to show that 28 years of TB117 has impacted fire deaths in California.

3. AB 706 is in harmony with the Governors green chemistry initiative. It will require the Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop an alternatives assessment process by January 1, 2010 for chemicals used to meet the fire safety standards of the Bureau of Home Furnishings.

4. AB 706 has no negative impact on California business. The campaign against it is financed by Albermarle, Chemtura, and Israeli chemicals Ltd, who make FRs. They make billions selling their toxic chemicals in California and our state pays the health and environmental costs. If anything, the bill may reduce the costs of furniture because it will lead to far fewer, if any, fire retardant chemicals.

5. AB 706 will give consumers a choice and stop the flow of toxic furniture and children's equipment into our home. Creates a labeling provision requiring all products under the Bureau's jurisdiction to be labeled with "CONTAINS HALOGENATED FIRE RETARDANTS" or "DOES NOT CONTAIN HALOGENATED FIRE RETARDANTS" by July next year.

6. Dust and breast milk studies show much higher levels of toxic FRs from our furniture in California and Californians than other states. This is likely to have huge health and environmental costs for our state



1. AB 706 will end the use of toxic fire retardants in baby and children's products by July 1, 2009. The Juvenile Products Association support this because there is no data suggesting that these products are a source of fires in our homes.

2. AB 706 maintains or increases fire safety by harmonizing the new California flammability standard for furniture with the proposed federal furniture standard by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Since fires begin in fabric not foam, this will address many times more fires deaths than the current TB117 foam standard. There is no fire data to show that 28 years of TB117 has impacted fire deaths in California.

3. AB 706 is in harmony with the Governors green chemistry initiative. It will require the Department of Toxic Substances Control to develop an alternatives assessment process by January 1, 2010 for chemicals used to meet the fire safety standards of the Bureau of Home Furnishings.

4. AB 706 has no negative impact on California business. The campaign against it is financed by Albermarle, Chemtura, and Israeli chemicals Ltd, who make FRs. They make billions selling their toxic chemicals in California and our state pays the health and environmental costs. If anything, the bill may reduce the costs of furniture because it will lead to far fewer, if any, fire retardant chemicals.

5. AB 706 will give consumers a choice and stop the flow of toxic furniture and children's equipment into our home. Creates a labeling provision requiring all products under the Bureau's jurisdiction to be labeled with "CONTAINS HALOGENATED FIRE RETARDANTS" or "DOES NOT CONTAIN HALOGENATED FIRE RETARDANTS" by July next year.

6. Dust and breast milk studies show much higher levels of toxic FRs from our furniture in California and Californians than other states. This is likely to have huge health and environmental costs for our state