WashingtonWashington law limits lead in aluminum and brass cookware
Washington law limits lead in aluminum and brass cookware and requires the Department of Ecology to review lead rules and adopt them on a schedule through 2033.
What it does
Lead limits apply to aluminum and brass cookware, utensils, and parts. Pots, pans, and their parts face tighter limits over time.
The Department of Ecology must review lead in cookware on a set schedule and adopt rules by 2033, including a lead limit and possible exemptions.
The Department of Ecology must make guidance available to manufacturers on covered items, lead testing, and how it will check compliance.
The Department of Ecology must be able to order manufacturers to provide lead-level data and make it public when practical; penalties may apply for failing to comply.
Argument forLower lead limits for some cookware may reduce shoppers’ exposure, while the state review may account for what limits manufacturers can meet.
Argument againstManufacturers may have to gather and provide product data when ordered, and failing to comply could bring a separate penalty for each product.
More detail
Manufacturers may not make or distribute covered items above the lead limits; wholesalers and retailers may not knowingly sell them. The limits cover aluminum or brass cookware, utensils, and cookware parts made for use in Washington. A separate restriction bars intentionally added lead beginning January 1, 2027. The Department of Ecology may exempt cookware from the 2034 limit under its rules. Casual or isolated sales of used items and sales by nonprofit groups are exempt; retailers and wholesalers are not liable for unknowingly selling restricted products. For items made on or after January 1, 2026, the limit is 90 parts per million. For pots, pans, and their parts, it is 50 parts per million for items made on or after January 1, 2030, and 20 parts per million for items made on or after January 1, 2034.
The Department of Ecology must review lead in cookware, decide on regulatory actions, and adopt rules. The review includes cookware, its parts, and utensils; it must consider how lead limits work over the product’s life, including when surfaces are damaged or heavily used. The limit for aluminum or brass pots and pans, and their parts, may not be higher than 20 parts per million. The department must set a limit of 20 parts per million or the lowest feasible limit supported by review data. It may make specific exemptions when compliance is not feasible. The review begins with the June 1, 2029 cycle. The department must decide on regulatory actions by June 1, 2032, and adopt rules by June 1, 2033.
The Department of Ecology must make guidance available to manufacturers. The guidance must cover which items are covered, ways to test lead content, and how the department will check and enforce compliance. If available, the guidance should include information about technical assistance. The department must develop the guidance as part of implementing the cookware law.
The Department of Ecology must order cookware manufacturers to provide lead-level data and, when practicable, make it public. The orders cover manufacturers and their cookware products, including cookware parts and utensils. Manufacturers that fail to comply with an order are subject to penalties; the department must count each product covered by the order as a separate offense when assessing a penalty. The department may order the data as part of its cookware review.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 18Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 18Chapter 110, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 18Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 12Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 11Speaker signed.Major
- Mar 10President signed.Passed House
- Mar 9Passed final passage; yeas, 47; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 0.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#27). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 9Senate concurred in House amendments.
- Mar 5Third reading, passed; yeas, 86; nays, 10; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded Final Passage as Amended by the House (#11). Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 5Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Mar 5Committee amendment(s) adopted as amended.
- Mar 2Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Feb 25Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Feb 24ENVI - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).Minor
- Feb 24Executive action taken in the House Committee on Environment & Energy at 4:00 PM.
- Feb 23Public hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy at 1:30 PM.
- Feb 19First reading, referred to Environment & Energy.Minor
- Feb 17Third reading, passed; yeas, 42; nays, 7; absent, 0; excused, 0.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#18). Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 17Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 17Floor amendment(s) adopted.
- Feb 171st substitute bill substituted (ENET 26).Major
- Feb 10Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.Minor
- Feb 9Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 9Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 9WM - Majority; do pass 1st substitute bill proposed by Environment, Energy & Technology.Minor
- Feb 9Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 10:30 AM.
- Feb 6Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.
- Feb 4Referred to Ways & Means.Minor
- Feb 3Minority; without recommendation.Minor
- Feb 3And refer to Ways & Means.Minor
- Feb 3ENET - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Feb 3Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 30Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 10:30 AM.
- Jan 14Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM.
- Jan 12First reading, referred to Environment, Energy & Technology.Minor
- Jan 5Prefiled for introduction.Introduced
Consumer ProtectionPublic SafetyEnvironment & Energy