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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 105
BY REPRESENTATIVE ELLINGTON
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To oppose measures which would require health-related warning labels on wireless devices
and packaging or require disclosure of any health-related information about wireless
devices at the point of sale.
WHEREAS, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set limits on
public exposure of radiofrequency (RF) energy absorbed by users of wireless devices; and
WHEREAS, these limits are given in terms of a unit referred to as the Specific
Absorption Rate (SAR), which is a measure of the amount of RF energy absorbed by the
body when using a wireless device; and
WHEREAS, the safety limit set by the FCC for public exposure from wireless
devices is a SAR level of 1.6 watts per kilogram (1.6 W/kg); and
WHEREAS, this safety limit is based on guidelines of the American National
Standards Institute, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the National
Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement; and
WHEREAS, the FCC requires wireless device manufacturers to demonstrate
compliance with the SAR safety limit before the FCC grants approval for marketing any
wireless device in the United States; and
WHEREAS, these demonstrations ensure that devices comply with these objective
limits for safe exposure before they are marketed to consumers in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the FCC provides consumers with information on its website at
www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid detailing the SAR levels for devices sold in the United States; and
WHEREAS, several federal agencies have reviewed and endorsed the guidelines of
the FCC, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH); and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 105
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WHEREAS, the FDA has stated that continuous human exposure to RF fields up to
and including one hundred percent of the FCC limit is safe; and
WHEREAS, the FDA states on its website that the weight of scientific evidence has
not linked cellular phones with any health problems; and
WHEREAS, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP) stated in 2009 that the scientific literature published since the issue of the
guidelines in 1998 has provided no evidence of any adverse effects below the basic
restrictions; and
WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society has concluded that there is now
considerable epidemiologic evidence that shows no consistent association between cellular
phone use and overall risk of brain cancer; and
WHEREAS, some organizations and individuals are now urging state and local
lawmakers to pass laws to require health-related warning labeling on wireless devices and
packaging and to mandate the disclosure of health-related information about wireless devices
at the point of sale.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
support sound public policy in the area of health effects and wireless devices based on the
weight of scientific research in this area to ensure that consumer confusion is avoided.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana opposes all
measures that would require health-related warning labeling, including but not limited to
specific absorption rate levels, on wireless devices and packaging.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana opposes all
measures that would mandate disclosure of any health-related information about wireless
devices at the point of sale of such devices.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
consumer protection section of the office of the Louisiana attorney general.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE