The Nickel Report

In 2025, four states—California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington—proposed fashion accountability bills. These bills would require high-earning entities in the fashion industry to conduct extensive supply chain due diligence, and to monitor and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water use, and chemical management.

In 2025, California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington advanced fashion accountability legislation targeting supply chain due diligence and environmental disclosures from major fashion companies. Heading into the 2026 legislative session, most of these bills have lost momentum: California and Washington’s measures are now inactive, Massachusetts’ proposal remains in study with limited prospects, and only New York’s bill is still under committee review. While each state’s legislative process varies, the window for action on these bills in 2026 has largely closed. Businesses should continue to track these developments, as similar proposals could reemerge in 2027.

Chemical manufacturers, product makers, and product retailers are gearing up for new state-level restrictions on products sold in stores and online that contain per- and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A total of 18 states have PFAS product restrictions ranging from bans to reporting to labeling requirements. The laws target primarily food packaging, cosmetics, cookware, and textiles, but some states have expansive laws that include all types of products. Each year for the past four years, approximately 200 PFAS-related bills are introduced in state legislatures, and we expect this trend to continue, potentially adding to the growing patchwork of PFAS restrictions.

In 2025, California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington proposed fashion accountability bills to impose environmental due diligence requirements on high-earning businesses in the fashion industry.