House passes triclosan retail ban

Consumer products containing the anti-bacterial ingredient triclosan could be banned from store shelves.

During the May 8 floor session, Rep. Melissa Hortman describes provisions of her bill HF2542/SF2192* which, in part, would expand current bans on the disposal of mercury-containing products. Photo by Paul Battaglia

Sponsored by Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), SF2192 also would ban lead and mercury in certain products. The House passed the bill 92-38 Thursday. Because Hortman inserted the contents of the House companion, HF2542, the bill returns to the Senate where Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) is the sponsor. The Senate passed its bill 57-0 May 2.

Triclosan is used in products like hand soaps and toothpastes. Studies have raised concerns that triclosan disrupts the endocrine system.  

[Watch full video of Thursday's floor session here]

Rep. Diane Loeffler (DFL-Mpls) successfully offered a floor amendment that would ban retailers from selling cleaning products containing triclosan that are used for sanitizing or hand and body cleansing, effective Jan. 1, 2017. The prohibition wouldn’t apply to products that have approval for consumer use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The triclosan discussion came less than three days after the House defeated a floor amendment, also offered by Loeffler, that proposed a more far-reaching triclosan ban during  debate on HF2402, the omnibus health and human services policy bill.

Among the variety products that are addressed in SF2192, wheel weights and balancing products that contain lead and mercury would be prohibited.

An amendment that was successfully offered by Rep. Denny McNamara (R-Hastings) would push back the effective date for the wheel weights and balancing products section in the bill from July 1, 2015, to Jan. 1, 2016. Hortman supported the amendment noting it would “give the industry a little bit more time to turn to an alternate before the statute affects them.”

Rep. Joe Mullery (DFL-Mpls) successfully offered an amendment that would direct the Pollution Control Agency to develop an environmental justice policy that “promotes fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, income, or education level.”