Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2339 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 2
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1201 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2339
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	James K. Hawkins
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter personal protective
13	13	equipment.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/18/2023Paul Jacques, Professional Fire
17	17	Fighters of Massachusetts
18	18	2 Center Plaza, Suite 4M, Boston,
19	19	MA.
20	20	1/18/2023Craig Hardy, Professional Fire
21	21	Fighters of Massachusetts
22	22	2 Center Plaza, Suite 4M, Boston,
23	23	MA.
24	24	1/18/2023Rich MacKinnon, Professional Fire
25	25	Fighters of Massachusetts
26	26	2 Center Plaza, Suite 4m, Boston, MA.1/18/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/27/2023Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex1/27/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/27/2023Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden1/27/2023Jessica Ann Giannino16th Suffolk1/27/2023Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth1/27/2023Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/28/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/29/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/29/2023Steven S. Howitt4th Bristol1/30/2023 2 of 2
27	27	Gerard J. Cassidy9th Plymouth1/30/2023Ryan M. Hamilton15th Essex1/30/2023William C. Galvin6th Norfolk1/31/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/1/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/2/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/2/2023Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk2/2/2023Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex2/2/2023Jon Santiago9th Suffolk2/6/2023Adrian C. Madaro1st Suffolk2/6/2023Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth2/7/2023Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth2/8/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/9/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/9/2023Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/9/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/14/2023Daniel Cahill10th Essex2/17/2023Jonathan D. Zlotnik2nd Worcester3/1/2023Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk3/2/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex3/14/2023Christopher Richard Flanagan1st Barnstable3/14/2023 1 of 3
28	28	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1201 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
29	29	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2339
30	30	By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2339) of
31	31	James K. Hawkins and others relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter
32	32	personal protective equipment. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
33	33	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
34	34	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2475 OF 2021-2022.]
35	35	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
36	36	_______________
37	37	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
38	38	(2023-2024)
39	39	_______________
40	40	An Act relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter personal protective
41	41	equipment.
42	42	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
43	43	of the same, as follows:
44	44	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
45	45	2following section:-
46	46	3 Section 237. (a) The following terms shall have the following meanings unless the
47	47	4context clearly requires otherwise:-
48	48	5 “Firefighting personal protective equipment” means any clothing designed, intended, or
49	49	6marketed to be worn by firefighting personnel in the performance of their duties, designed with
50	50	7the intent for the use in fire and rescue activities, including jackets, pants, shoes, gloves, helmets,
51	51	8and respiratory equipment. 2 of 3
52	52	9 “Local governments” includes any county, city, town, fire district, regional fire protection
53	53	10authority, or special purpose district that provides firefighting services.
54	54	11 “Manufacturer” includes any person, firm, association, partnership, corporation,
55	55	12organization, joint venue, importer, or domestic distributor of firefighting agents or firefighting
56	56	13equipment. For the purposes of this definition, “importer” means the owner of the product.
57	57	14 “Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoraolkyl substances” or “PFAS chemicals” mean, for the
58	58	15purposes of firefighting agents and firefighting equipment, a class of fluorinated organic
59	59	16chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
60	60	17 (b) A manufacturer or other person that sells firefighting personal protective equipment
61	61	18containing PFAS chemicals to any person, local government, or state agency shall provide
62	62	19written notice to the purchaser at the time of sale which shall state: (i) that the firefighting
63	63	20personal protective equipment contains PFAS chemicals; and (ii) the reason PFAS chemicals are
64	64	21added to the equipment.
65	65	22 The manufacturer or other person selling firefighting personal protective equipment and
66	66	23the purchaser of the equipment shall retain a copy of the notice required pursuant to this
67	67	24subsection on file for at least 3 years from the date of the purchase. Upon the request of the
68	68	25department, a person, manufacturer, or purchaser shall furnish the notice, or written copies, and
69	69	26associated sales documentation to the department within 60 days of such request.
70	70	27 SECTION 2. Section 237 of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as added by section 1, is
71	71	28hereby amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following
72	72	29subsection:- 3 of 3
73	73	30 (b) A manufacturer or other person that sells firefighting personal protective equipment to
74	74	31any person, local government, or state agency shall not manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for
75	75	32sale, distribute for sale, or distribute for use in the commonwealth any firefighting personal
76	76	33protective equipment containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
77	77	34 SECTION 3. Section 1 shall take effect on January 1, 2025.
78	78	35 SECTION 4. Section 2 shall take effect on January 1, 2027.