WHB/8/2
Sponsored by Harper Robinson, Merritt Zieminick of West High School
This legislation was filed in the Health category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms in this act shall be defined as follows: |
| 4 | a) Cancer: A disease caused when cells divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissues. |
| 5 | b) Birth Defects: A physical or biochemical abnormality that is present at birth and that may be |
| 6 | inherited or the result of environmental influence. |
| 7 | c) Reproductive Harm: Physical or biochemical abnormalities that are caused by environmental |
| 8 | influences that affect the reproductive health of men or women. |
| 9 | d) Significant level of exposure: a level of exposure that would cause more than 1 extra case of |
| 10 | cancer in 100,000 people over a 70-year lifetime. |
| 11 | e) Carcinogen: a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Section 2: If enacted, all businesses under the Tennessee State Law shall be required to provide |
| 14 | warning labels on all products that have significant exposure to chemicals that can cause cancer, |
| 15 | birth defects, or reproductive harm. These labels will be required to be placed on products that |
| 16 | Tennesseans can purchase, home products, workplace products, and products that are released |
| 17 | into the environment. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Section 3: This bill also requires the Tennessee Health Department to publish a list of chemicals |
| 20 | known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. This list will be updated at least once |
| 21 | a year. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Section 4: The list will include a large quantity of natural and synthetic chemicals including |
| 24 | additives and harmful ingredients found in pesticides, household products, food, drugs, dyes, and |
| 25 | solvents. Chemicals used in manufacturing and construction may be included on the list as well. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section 5: A warning label must be placed on all distributed products that include one or more |
| 28 | chemicals on the list. Businesses must include a warning label for all chemicals on the list, unless |
| 29 | there is not a significant level of exposure, or the exposure is significantly lower than levels |
| 30 | observed to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. |
| 31 | |
| 32 | Section 6: By including this label, the business is stating that it knows that the product will expose |
| 33 | individuals to one or more of the listed chemicals. |
| 34 | |
| 35 | Section 7: The Tennessee Health Department will be responsible for determining what chemicals |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Disease Registry and its programs will be responsible for performing investigations to ensure that |
| 38 | this bill is being followed. |
| 39 | |
| 40 | Section 8: The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office will be responsible for enforcing this bill. Any |
| 41 | District and City Attorney may also enforce this bill. Businesses can be fined up to $2,500 per |
| 42 | violation each day. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | Section 9: This bill would be of no cost to the State of Tennessee, and or any other federal or local |
| 45 | government or any other organization. |
| 46 | |
| 47 | Section 10: The act shall take effect December 1, 2024, the public welfare requiring it. |
| 48 |