§ 1775. Disclosure of information on chemicals of high concern

(a) Notice of chemical of high concern to children. A manufacturer of a children's product or a trade association representing a manufacturer of children's products shall submit to the Department the notice described in subsection (b) of this section for each chemical of high concern to children in a children's product if a chemical of high concern to children is:

(1) intentionally added to a children's product at a level above the PQL produced by the manufacturer; or

(2) present in a children's product produced by the manufacturer as a contaminant at a concentration of 100 parts per million or greater.

(b) Format for notice. The Commissioner shall specify the format for submission of the notice required by subsection (a) of this section, provided that the required format shall be generally consistent with the format for submission of notice in other states with requirements substantially similar to the requirements of this section. Any notice submitted under subsection (a) shall contain the following information:

(1) the name of the chemical used or produced and its chemical abstracts service registry number;

(2) a description of the product or product component containing the chemical, including the brand name, the product model, and the universal product code if the product has such a code;

(3) the amount of the chemical contained in each unit of the product or product component, reported by weight or parts per million as authorized by the Commissioner;

(4) the name and address of the manufacturer of the children's product and the name, address, and telephone number of a contact person for the manufacturer;

(5) any other information the manufacturer deems relevant to the appropriate use of the product; and

(6) any other information required by the Commissioner under rules adopted pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.

(c) Reciprocal data-sharing. In order for the Department to obtain the information required in the notice described in subsection (b) of this section, the Department may enter into reciprocal data-sharing agreements with other states in which a manufacturer of children's products is also required to disclose information related to chemicals of high concern to children in children's products. The Department shall not disclose trade secret information, confidential business information, or other information designated as confidential by law under a reciprocal data-sharing agreement.

(d) Waiver of format. Upon application of a manufacturer on a form provided by the Department, the Commissioner may waive the requirement under subsection (b) of this section that a manufacturer provide notice in a format specified by the Commissioner. The waiver may be granted, provided that:

(1) the manufacturer submitted the information required in a notice under this section to:

(A) a state with which the Department has entered a reciprocal data-sharing agreement; or

(B) a trade association, the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse, a federal governmental agency, or other independent third party;

(2) the information required to be reported in a notice under this section is provided to the Department in an alternate format, including reference to information publicly available in other states or by independent third parties; and

(3) the information required to be reported in a notice under this section is available on or accessible from the Department of Health website.

(e) Chemical control program. A manufacturer shall be exempt from the requirements of notice under this section for any chemical of high concern to children that is present in a children's product or component of a children's product only as a contaminant if, during manufacture of the children's product, the manufacturer was implementing a manufacturing control program and exercised due diligence to minimize the presence of the contaminant in the children's product.

(f) Notice of removal of chemical. A manufacturer who submitted the notice required by subsection (a) of this section may at any time submit to the Department notice that a chemical of high concern to children has been removed from the manufacturer's children's product or that the manufacturer no longer sells, offers for sale, or distributes in the State the children's product containing the chemical of high concern to children. Upon verification of a manufacturer's notice under this subsection, the Commissioner shall promptly remove from the Department website any reference to the relevant children's product of the manufacturer.

(g) Certificate of compliance. A manufacturer required to submit notice under this section to the Commissioner may rely on a certificate of compliance from suppliers for determining reporting obligations. A certificate of compliance provided by a supplier under this subsection shall be solely for the purpose of compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

(h) Products for sale out of State. A manufacturer shall not be required to submit notice under this section for a children's product manufactured, stored in, or transported through Vermont solely for use or sale outside the State of Vermont.

(i) Publication of information; disclaimer. The Commissioner shall post on the Department of Health website information submitted under this section by a manufacturer. When the Commissioner posts on the Department of Health website information submitted under this section by a manufacturer, the Commissioner shall provide the following notice:

"The reports on this website are based on data provided to the Department. The presence of a chemical in a children's product does not necessarily mean that the product is harmful to human health or that there is any violation of existing safety standards or laws. The reporting triggers are not health-based values."

(j) Fee. A manufacturer shall pay a fee of $200.00 for each notice required under subsection (a) of this section. If, under subsection (d) of this section, the Commissioner waives the required format for reporting, the fee shall not be waived. Fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the Chemicals of High Concern Fund for the purposes of that Fund.

(k) Application of section. The requirements of this section shall apply unless a manufacturer is exempt or unless notice according to the requirements of this section is specifically preempted by federal law. In the event of conflict between the requirements of this section and federal law, federal law shall control.

(l) Submission of notice; dates. Unless the Commissioner adopts by rule a phased-in reporting requirement under section 1776 of this title, a manufacturer shall submit the notice required under subsection (a) of this section on or before August 31, 2020 and annually thereafter. (Added 2013, No. 188 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 10, 2014; amended 2015, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. June 1, 2016; 2019, No. 75, § 4.)