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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 104Pt. 3Ch. 13.5§ 108970 Apparel Definition Standards

§ 108970 Apparel Definition Standards

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 108970 Apparel Definition Standards

This law defines special terms used in rules about chemicals called PFAS in clothes and fabrics. It says what kinds of clothes and items are covered and what levels of these chemicals are allowed.

Key Takeaways

  • •This law lists what counts as 'apparel'—like shirts, pants, and even diapers—but not military clothes or safety gear.
  • •'Outdoor apparel' means clothes for activities like hiking or fishing, but 'severe wet conditions' apparel is only for extreme sports like mountaineering.
  • •PFAS are chemicals that might be in clothes. The law says how much is too much: starting in 2025, clothes can’t have more than 100 parts per million, and in 2027, it drops to 50 parts per million.
  • •Some things are not covered, like cars, boats, carpets, or lab equipment.

Example

A company makes rain jackets for hiking. They want to know if their jackets are considered 'outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions' under this law.

The law says these jackets are only in this special category if they are made for experts doing extreme sports like mountaineering and protect against heavy rain or being in water for a long time. Regular hiking jackets don’t count.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 108970 Apparel Definition Standards

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following definitions: (a) “Apparel” means any of the following: (1) Clothing items intended for regular wear or formal occasions, including, but not limited to, undergarments, shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, overalls, bodysuits, costumes, vests, dancewear, suits, saris, scarves, tops, leggings, school uniforms, leisurewear, athletic wear, sports uniforms, everyday swimwear, formal wear, onesies, bibs, diapers, footwear, and everyday uniforms for workwear. Clothing items intended for regular wear or formal occasions does not include personal protective equipment or clothing items for exclusive use by the United States military. (2) Outdoor apparel. (3) Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions. (b) “Manufacturer” has the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 108952. (c) “Outdoor apparel” means clothing items intended primarily for outdoor activities, including, but not limited to, hiking, camping, skiing, climbing, bicycling, and fishing. (d) “Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions” means outdoor apparel that are extreme and extended use products designed for outdoor sports experts for applications that provide protection against extended exposure to extreme rain conditions or against extended immersion in water or wet conditions, such as from snow, in order to protect the health and safety of the user and that are not marketed for general consumer use. Examples of extreme and extended use products include outerwear for offshore fishing, offshore sailing, whitewater kayaking, and mountaineering. (e) “Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances” or “PFAS” means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. (f) “Personal protective equipment” means equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses that may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, biological, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace or professional hazards. (g) “Regulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS” means either of the following: (1) PFAS that a manufacturer has intentionally added to a product and that have a functional or technical effect in the product, including the PFAS components of intentionally added chemicals and PFAS that are intentional breakdown products of an added chemical that also have a functional or technical effect in the product. (2) The presence of PFAS in a product or product component at or above the following thresholds, as measured in total organic fluorine: (A) Commencing January 1, 2025, 100 parts per million. (B) Commencing January 1, 2027, 50 parts per million. (h) “Textile” means any item made in whole or part from a natural, manmade, or synthetic fiber, yarn, or fabric, and includes, but is not limited to, leather, cotton, silk, jute, hemp, wool, viscose, nylon, or polyester. “Textile” does not include single-use paper hygiene products, including, but not limited to, toilet paper, paper towels or tissues, or single-use absorbent hygiene products. For purposes of this subdivision, “single use” has the same meaning as in Section 42041 of the Public Resources Code. (i) (1) “Textile articles” means textile goods of a type customarily and ordinarily used in households and businesses, and include, but are not limited to, apparel, accessories, handbags, backpacks, draperies, shower curtains, furnishings, upholstery, beddings, towels, napkins, and tablecloths. (2) “Textile articles” does not include any of the following: (A) Any of the following items regulated under the Safer Consumer Products Program (Chapter 55 (commencing with Section 69501) of Division 4.5 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations): (i) Carpets and rugs. (ii) Treatments containing PFAS for use on converted textiles or leathers. (B) A vehicle, as defined in Section 670 of the Vehicle Code, including, but not limited to, an off-highway motor vehicle, as defined in Section 38012 of the Vehicle Code, or its component parts. (C) A vessel, as defined in Section 21 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, or its component parts, such as boat covers. (D) Filtration media and filter products used in industrial applications, including, but not limited to, chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing, and environmental control technologies. (E) Textile articles used in or for laboratory analysis and testing. (F) An aircraft, as defined in Section 21012 of the Public Utilities Code, or its component parts. (G) Stadium shades or other architectural fabric structures. For purposes of this subparagraph, “architectural fabric structure” means a permanent fabric structure that is intrinsic to a building’s design or construction. (Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 762, Sec. 2. (AB 1817) Effective January 1, 2023.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

equipmentschoolhealthfishingporthazardfinesafety

Related Statutes

  • § 104495 Playground Safety Definitions
  • § 124710 Rural Clinic Funding Stability
  • § 129895 Hospital Equipment Seismic Standards
  • § 13119 Fire Safety Decorative Materials
  • § 1569.312 Residential Care Facility Services

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 108970.
View Official Source