BPA Legislation Passes Key Legislative Committee

Olympia, WA – Legislation to eliminate the hormone disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles, sippy cups, and other children’s food containers, passed out of the House General Government Appropriations Committee today on a vote of 10-4. If the legislation becomes law, Washington State would become the first state in the nation to place restrictions on BPA in children’s products.

The Safe Baby Bottle Act of 2009 (HB 1180), sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36), aims to reduce children’s exposures to BPA by eliminating it from products they eat and drink out of every day.

BPA is a synthetic sex hormone that research links to health effects, including cancer, miscarriage, obesity, reproductive problems, and hyperactivity. In addition, recent scientific studies show infants are more susceptible to BPA because it stays longer in their bodies than adults. Research also shows exposure to BPA puts girls at an increased risk of breast cancer. BPA is used in polycarbonate plastic baby bottles, sippy cups, and other containers.

More than 30 health, environmental, consumer, and children’s advocates have endorsed the bill, including the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Washington State Nurses Association, Washington Conservation Voters, Children’s Alliance, People For Puget Sound, and WashPIRG.

Bills to regulate use of BPA have been introduced in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Vermont. Canada is already moving forward with regulations to ban BPA in baby bottles later this year.

The bill now awaits a vote in the full House.

More information on the legislation is available at www.watoxics.org/campaign.