WASHINGTON — The Senate has passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Act, which establishes the first national standards for formaldehyde in composite panel.
The bill is intended to protect consumers from hazardous levels of the chemical bonding agent in composite panel and applies to domestic and foreign products, according to one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Composite wood is used in common household products such as furniture, cabinets, shelving, countertops, flooring and molding.

The bill now goes to the House for a vote.

If the bill passes, it is likely to make furniture retailers and suppliers nationwide adopt practices similar to those required by California's formaldehyde standards, which mandates extensive documentation of products through the supply chain showing that they do not emit the gas.

"Not only does this legislation protect consumers; it also ensures that foreign wood products adhere to the same safety standards we employ here in the U.S.," Crapo said in a press release.

Under the proposed federal legislation, by Jan. 1, 2013, products sold in the United States would have to meet a formaldehyde emission standards of about 0.09 parts per million, making them the toughest standard in the world, the release said.

The legislation requires third-party testing for compliance and enforcement by federal agencies.

The California Air Resources Board began phasing in its formaldehyde rule last year, and has issued extensions that have given furniture businesses longer to clear their inventories of noncompliant products.