New York advances food disclosure and tent flame-retardant bills to governor

New York lawmakers have advanced a slate of chemical-related measures at the close of the state’s 2026 legislative session, sending bills targeting flame retardants in tents, food additive disclosures and other product controls to the governor for consideration.

At least seven such bills passed the New York State Legislature before its session ended on 5 June, highlighting a continued focus by US state lawmakers on taking targeted, substance-specific action.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D) may now sign them into law, veto them, or return them to the legislature with recommended changes.

Under the New York constitution, she typically has ten days to act once a bill is formally presented – although measures are often delivered several months after the end of the legislative session. If she takes no action once a bill is presented to her, it may become law without her signature.

Meanwhile, several other bills addressing cosmetics, PFAS in consumer products and related issues failed to advance, reflecting a broader pattern in the state in recent years, in which certain chemical legislation has struggled to advance (see box).

Tents, food and more

The No Toxics Tent Act (AB 7875/SB 9704) is one of several bills that now head to the governor’s desk. It passed the Senate by a 60-1 vote on 3 June.

If enacted, it would end flame-resistance requirements for certain recreational and children’s tents, echoing other recent North American efforts to reduce the use of flame-retardant substances in tent materials.

Another bill (AB 7594/SB 3852), which passed the Assembly unanimously on 4 June, would prohibit, from 2028, the sale of playground surfacing materials that contain intentionally added PFAS, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or lead, as well as materials in which those substances are present above concentration limits to be set by state regulators. New York lawmakers previously pursued similar legislation in 2024.

A third bill, the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act (AB 1556/SB 1239), which advanced in April, would require companies to disclose safety information for food ingredients brought to market in New York under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s 'generally recognised as safe' (GRAS) framework, which allows manufacturers to self-affirm the safety of many ingredients without prior agency review. The legislation would also prohibit FD&C Red No 3, potassium bromate and propylparaben in food sold in the state.

At least four other chemical-related bills also advanced to the governor. They include:

• the PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act (AB 5832/SB 4574), which would require certain industrial facilities and wastewater treatment systems to monitor PFAS discharges and publicly report the results;
• AB 8634/SB 3207, which would align New York with federal drinking water standards by setting maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 4ppt for PFOA and PFOS, and 10ppt for additional PFAS, while directing the state to assess cumulative exposure risks for the chemicals in drinking water;
• the Healthy Homes Right to Know Act (AB 73/SB 1280), which would require warning labels on new gas stoves to indicate that the appliances can emit unsafe levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde; and
• the Baby Food and Infant Formula Safety and Transparency Act (AB 9026/SB 8701), which would require manufacturers to test baby food and infant formula for certain metals, prohibit the sale of products exceeding metal concentration limits to be set by state regulators, and publicly disclose contaminant levels with QR code labelling.