Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=HB3261%20intr.htm&yr=2012&sesstype=RS&i=3261
Timestamp: 2018-04-24 08:17:02
Document Index: 144441451

Matched Legal Cases: ['§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§46', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§46', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16']

(By Delegates Manypenny, Barker, Moye, Hunt, Poore and Brown)
A BILL amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §16-43-1, §16-43-2, §16-43-3, §16-43-4, §16-43-5 and §16-43-6; and to amend and reenact §46A-6-102 of said code, all relating to creating the “BPA-Free Kids Act”; prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of infant formula or baby food stored in a plastic container, jar, or can containing bisphenol A; prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of any reusable food or beverage container containing bisphenol A; enforcement and penalties; and legislative rules.
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated §16-43-1, §16-43-2, §16-43-3, §16-43-4, §16-43-5 and §16-43-6; and that §46A-6-102 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 43. THE BPA-FREE KIDS ACT.
This Act may be cited as the “BPA-Free Kids Act.”
§16-43-2. Findings.
(1) Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic estrogen that was originally considered for use in managing challenging pregnancies. Low-dose exposure to BPA has been linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, recurrent miscarriages, early onset puberty, reduced sperm count, delayed development, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
(2) Over ninety percent of the more than one hundred government-funded studies of low-dose exposure to BPA have demonstrated adverse health effects.
(3) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than ninety percent of Americans have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies, and children have higher concentrations of BPA in their bodies than do adolescents or adults.
(4) Approximately seven billion pounds of BPA is produced globally each year for use in baby bottles, dental sealants, compact discs, water bottles, food cans, and a wide variety of other items.
(5) BPA is one of the most frequently detected industrial chemicals in groundwater and is also found in landfill leachate, surface water, sewage, sludge, and treated wastewater discharge.
(6) The use of BPA should be limited in order to protect the health of the citizens and environment of West Virginia.
(7) Alternatives to BPA exist, including glass, stainless steel, and aluminum bottles; BPA-free plastic containers, some of which are already used by several manufacturers of infant formula; foil packets; and powdered foods stored in cardboard boxes.
(1) “Baby food” means a prepared solid food consisting of a soft paste or an easily chewed food that is intended for consumption by children two years of age or younger and that is commercially available.
(2) “Bisphenol A” means an industrial chemical used primarily in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins.
(3) “Infant formula” means a milk-based or soy-based powder, concentrated liquid, or ready-to-feed substitute for human breast milk that is intended for infant consumption and that is commercially available.
(4) “Reusable food or beverage container” means a receptacle for storing food or beverages, including baby bottles, spill-proof cups, sports bottles, and thermoses. The term does not include food or beverage containers intended for disposal after initial usage. The term shall not include commercial water cooler jugs.
§16-43-4. Prohibitions on containers with BPA; alternatives.
(a) Beginning July 1, 2012, no person or entity shall manufacture, sell, or distribute in commerce in this state any reusable food or beverage container containing bisphenol A.
(b) (1) Beginning July 1, 2012, no person or entity shall manufacture, sell, or distribute in commerce in this state any infant formula or baby food stored in a plastic container or jar that contains bisphenol A.
(2) Beginning July 1, 2014, no person or entity shall manufacture, sell, or distribute in commerce in this state any infant formula or baby food stored in a can that contains bisphenol A.
(c) Manufacturers shall use the least toxic alternative when replacing bisphenol A in accordance with this section.
(d) Manufacturers may not replace bisphenol A, pursuant to this article, with carcinogens rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as A, B, or C carcinogens or substances listed on the EPA’s “List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic Potential” as known or likely carcinogens, known to be human carcinogens, likely to be human carcinogens, or suggestive of being carcinogens.
(e) Manufacturers may not replace bisphenol A, pursuant to this article, with reproductive toxicants that the EPA has identified as causing birth defects, reproductive harm, or developmental harm.
§16-43-5. Enforcement; penalties.
This article shall be enforceable by the Attorney General. A violation of any provision of this section is an unfair or deceptive act or practice within the meaning of section one hundred two, article six, chapter forty-six-a of this code and is subject to the enforcement and penalty provisions contained in chapter forty-six-a of this code.
§16-43-6. Legislative rules.
The Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this article.
(Q) Violating any provision or requirement of article forty-three, chapter sixteen of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the “BPA-Free Kids Act” to limit exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) by prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of certain containers which contain BPA.
§§16-43-1 through 6 are new; therefore, they have been completely underscored.