I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4805 
To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reduce the emissions of 
formaldehyde from composite wood products, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2010 
Ms. MATSUI (for herself and Mr. EHLERS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 
to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reduce the 
emissions of formaldehyde from composite wood prod-
ucts, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Formaldehyde Stand-
ards for Composite Wood Products Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FORMALDEHYDE STANDARDS FOR COMPOSITE 
WOOD PRODUCTS. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—The Toxic Substances Control 
Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘TITLE 
VI—FORMALDEHYDE 
STANDARDS FOR COMPOSITE 
WOOD PRODUCTS 
‘‘SEC. 601. FORMALDEHYDE STANDARDS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) FINISHED GOOD.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘finished 
good’ means any good or product (other than a 
panel) containing— 
‘‘(i) hardwood plywood; 
‘‘(ii) particleboard; or 
‘‘(iii) medium-density fiberboard. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘finished 
good’ does not include— 
‘‘(i) any component part or other part 
used in the assembly of a finished good; or 
‘‘(ii) any finished good that has pre-
viously been sold or supplied to an indi-
vidual or entity that purchased or acquired 
the finished good in good faith for pur-
poses other than resale, such as— 
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‘‘(I) an antique; or 
‘‘(II) secondhand furniture. 
‘‘(2) HARDBOARD.—The term ‘hardboard’ has 
such meaning as the Administrator shall establish, 
by regulation, pursuant to subsection (d). 
‘‘(3) HARDWOOD PLYWOOD.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘hardwood 
plywood’ means a hardwood or decorative panel 
that is— 
‘‘(i) intended for interior use; and 
‘‘(ii) composed of (as determined 
under the standard numbered ANSI/ 
HPVA HP–1–2004 (or a successor stand-
ard)) an assembly of layers or plies of ve-
neer, joined by an adhesive with— 
‘‘(I) lumber core; 
‘‘(II) particleboard core; 
‘‘(III) medium-density fiberboard 
core; 
‘‘(IV) hardboard core; or 
‘‘(V) any other special core or 
special back material. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘hardwood 
plywood’ does not include— 
‘‘(i) military-specified plywood; 
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‘‘(ii) curved plywood; or 
‘‘(iii) any other product specified in— 
‘‘(I) the standard entitled ‘Vol-
untary Product Standard–Structural 
Plywood’ and numbered PS 1–07 (or 
a successor standard); or 
‘‘(II) the standard entitled ‘Vol-
untary Product Standard–Perform-
ance Standard for Wood-Based Struc-
tural-Use Panels’ and numbered PS 
2–04 (or a successor standard). 
‘‘(C) LAMINATED PRODUCTS.— 
‘‘(i) RULEMAKING.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Admin-
istrator shall conduct a rulemaking 
process pursuant to subsection (d) 
that uses all available and relevant in-
formation from State authorities (in-
cluding the California Air Resources 
Board), industry, and other available 
sources of such information, and ana-
lyzes that information to determine, 
at the discretion of the Administrator, 
whether the definition of the term 
‘hardwood plywood’ should exempt en-
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gineered veneer or any laminated 
product. 
‘‘(II) MODIFICATION.—The Ad-
ministrator may modify any aspect of 
the definition contained in clause (ii) 
before including that definition in the 
regulations promulgated pursuant to 
subclause (I). 
‘‘(ii) 
LAMINATED
PRODUCT.—The 
term ‘laminated product’ means a prod-
uct— 
‘‘(I) in which a wood veneer is af-
fixed to— 
‘‘(aa) a particleboard plat-
form; 
‘‘(bb) a medium-density fi-
berboard platform; or 
‘‘(cc) a veneer-core platform; 
and 
‘‘(II) that is— 
‘‘(aa) a component part; 
‘‘(bb) used in the construc-
tion or assembly of a finished 
good; and 
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