NOTE TO READER: This text, Bill Analysis of California Assembly Bill AB 1963 was saved and retrieved from the FTP files of the Government of California. According to our most recent information, it is no longer available via the WWW. Therefore, we have posted the page in its entirety (with the exception, for ease of readership, of deleting a few large "white" spaces) as presented on July 31, 1996, as found at the following Internet location: ftp://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_1951-2000/ab_1963_bill_960103_amended_asm.   BILL ANALYSIS   AB 1963   Date of Hearing: April 18, 1995   ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH   Doris Allen, Chairwoman   AB 1963 (Figueroa) - As Amended: April 17, 1995   SUBJECT   Should Department of Health Services (DHS) be required to determine if dioxin, a carcinogen, is present in feminine hygiene products and, if so, to require warnings on the package?   DIGEST   Existing law:   1) Requires DHS to investigate the preparation and sale of drugs and food and their adulteration.   2) Allows DHS to monitor cancers associated with suspected carcinogens encountered by the general public, analyzing data, preparing reports and performing studies as necessary to identify cancer hazards to the public general health.   This bill:   1) Requires DHS to determine if various sanitary products contain dioxin residue.   2) Requires a label be placed on the external package of sanitary products found to contain dioxin residue warning women of their exposure to dioxin.   3) Requires testing and implementation of the program no later than January 1, 1997, and warnings to appear on all such   - continued -   AB 1963 Page 1     AB 1963   packages sold in California no later than July, 1, 1997.   FISCAL EFFECT   Unknown   COMMENTS   Purpose of the bill: The author reports that the chlorine bleaching of the paper to make sanitary products creates an accidental by-product called dioxin, which is generally recognized as a carcinogen. Dioxin has been linked to low sperm count, increased diabetes risk, abnormally developed children, contaminated breast milk, endometriosis and birth defects. Some cities in Europe are calling for chlorine phase outs, banning certain dioxin productions. Women in the UK forced manufacturers to quit bleaching their sanitary products years ago. The proponents of AB 1963 ask: Why don't we?   Opposing argument: The sponsor has not presented a definitive study showing either the presence of dioxin residue in sanitary products, or the direct health consequences of the amount of residue present. Testing probably could determine the presence of some dioxin fairly easily. Information provided by the author shows that dioxin exists in the environment and the food chain; thus, it seems some levels of dioxin are tolerable. However, concluding that a given level of dioxin is dangerous and that dioxin is found in all sanitary products would require clinical studies that could not be completed within the time frame specified.   In addition, opposing paper manufacturers report that testing is currently done on all paper products to ensure safety. Further, they require all pulp to be free of detectable dioxins. Opponents raise the issue that there is nothing in science technology to indicate that totally chlorine-free processes are better processes.   - continued -   AB 1963 Page 2     AB 1963   SPONSOR: Planning and Conservation League   SUPPORT: None received   OPPOSITION: American Forest and Paper Association, Proctor & Gamble   - continued -   AB 1963 Page 3

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