SB 341 — AN ACT CONCERNING CLOTHING FIBER POLLUTION.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

341 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00341ENV___032318____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING CLOTHING FIBER POLLUTION.

1411   *01411_______ENV* Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT   Introduced by:

  (ENV)   AN ACT CONCERNING CLOTHING FIBER POLLUTION.

(NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than DecemberJuly 1, 2018, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, shall convene a working group of representatives of the apparel industry and the environmental community for the purpose of developing a consumer awareness and education program thatconcerning consists, in part, of a clothing labeling component designed to readily alert consumers of the presence of synthetic microfibers in an article of clothing prior to the purchase of such clothing.

Such program shall also include, but not be limited to, consumer oriented information that explains the process by which such microfibers are shed from clothing and are dispersed in the state's waterways, best practices for consumers to eliminate and reduce the disbursement of microfibers from clothing into the waterways of the state and information on efforts that members of the apparel industry, including, but not limited to, brand labels, are undertaking to reduce or eliminate microfibers in clothing.

AllNot componentslater than January 1, 2019, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the environment on the efforts of such working group and any related recommendations for legislation concerning such consumer awareness and education program shalland bethe implementedreduction notof latermicrofibers thanin Decemberour 1,state's 2019.waterways.

Section 1 from passage New section StatementENV ofJoint Purpose:Favorable Subst.

To establish a consumer awareness, education and clothing labeling program that is intended to reduce the amount of microfiber plastic in the state's waterways.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.

Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]