Support a Science-Based Update to Washington's Cookware Standards
- by: Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
- recipient: WA Lawmakers
The Washington Legislature passed a bill changing the state's food-safety regulations with the right intentions: making sure the products we use in our kitchens are safe. That's a goal all Washingtonians can agree with. However, the law as written lacks the regulatory clarity and enforcement structure needed to work effectively in practice.
Instead of providing regulators with a clear, durable framework for oversight and enforcement, the Lead in Cookware Act relies on an overly broad statutory approach that is difficult to administer and does not effectively distinguish between safe products and truly unsafe ones. This makes it harder for state regulators to enforce the law consistently, fails to focus enforcement on bad actors, and risks unnecessary disruption to the availability of safe cookware and kitchen appliance products that already comply with strict national and international food-safety standards.
Washington can do better. Concerned stakeholders from across the state are speaking out to demand a fix that provides clear rules, effective enforcement tools, and certainty for both regulators and responsible businesses, while still achieving the law's public health goals.
Members of the Washington Legislature have responded, introducing a bipartisan bill that will fix the previous law by:
- Establishing a clear, enforceable regulatory structure through the Department of Ecology that provides certainty to industry and regulators alike.
- Targeting bad actors and unsafe products while allowing safe, compliant cookware to continue to be sold in Washington.
- Preserving access to high-quality cooking tools and appliances Washington families rely on every day.
Join us in calling on decisionmakers in Olympia to pass SB 5975 during the 2026 legislative session. Together, we can ensure Washington's food-safety laws protect public health in a way that is clear, enforceable, and effective, while supporting responsible businesses and consumer access to safe products.
The Lead in Cookware Act, originally adopted in 2024, was drafted with the right intentions but unfortunately lacked the guidance and enforcement structure needed for effective implementation. SB 5975 improves the law by directing the Department of Ecology to establish strong rules that empower regulators with the tools they need to target bad actors and provide clarity to responsible businesses for compliance.
This approach builds on an existing, science-based regulatory process that will allow Ecology to gather data, work with stakeholders, and set clear standards.
SB 5975 is a step in the right direction for ensuring products that pose real risks to consumers can be removed from the market without limiting access to the safe cookware that families and businesses in Washington rely on every day. I respectfully urge your support for this important legislation.
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