Cosmetics: chemical hair relaxers.

The document was reformatted from the official chaptered version (with page numbers, 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header, and traditional legislative layout) to the web-based bill text page format used on the California Legislature website.

Web navigation elements were added including site menu links (home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login), a quick search box, version history dropdown listing all prior versions from Introduction through Chaptered, and share/track/favorite buttons.

Removed the requirement that manufacturers of hair relaxer products must provide to DTSC, by July 1, 2030, the name and description of each product they manufacture along with a statement of compliance certifying those products meet the prohibited ingredient restrictions. This eliminated a proactive self-reporting obligation.

Section 108985.4 was restructured to contain only two enforcement mechanisms: (a) DTSC may request and manufacturers must provide technical documentation including test results upon request, and (b) DTSC may test hair relaxer products to support enforcement. The prior mandatory reporting provision was deleted entirely.

The bill was assigned Chapter 598 and the Governor's approval date of October 11, 2025 was added, replacing the blank signature block from the enrolled version.

Header changed from Senate Bill passage information to 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' with the chapter number, reflecting the standard format for a law that has been signed and filed with the Secretary of State.

Manufacturers are no longer required to pay a registration fee. The old version required manufacturers to register with DTSC and pay a fee; the new version only requires them to provide product names, descriptions, and a compliance statement.

The C.U.R.L. Act Registration Fee Account is eliminated. The old version allowed DTSC to create a sub-account within the C.U.R.L. Act Fund specifically for registration fees; this provision is removed entirely.

DTSC's own testing authority is broadened. The old version required the department to use only 'accepted testing methods identified pursuant to Section 108985.2' when testing products; the new version simply states the department may test hair relaxer products to support enforcement, without that restriction.

Throughout the bill, repeated phrases like 'for the ingredients for which the department has identified accepted testing methods pursuant to Section 108985.2 and this chapter' are shortened to simply 'described in Section 108985.2,' streamlining the text without changing substantive meaning.

The bill's formal title is changed from 'C.U.R.L. Combating Unsafe ReLaxers (C.U.R.L.) Act' to 'Combating Unsafe ReLaxers (C.U.R.L.) Act,' removing the redundant acronym prefix.

The definition of 'hair relaxer' was narrowed to specifically mean a 'cosmetic product, as defined in Section 108982,' and added that it may be sold either as an individual component or as a kit with multiple components.

Section 108985.3 was restructured from a standalone prohibition listing nine specific chemicals to a provision that subjects hair relaxer products to the existing Chapter 14 cosmetics prohibition, but only for ingredients for which the department has identified accepted testing methods under Section 108985.2.

The department is now authorized to update the list of intentionally added ingredients to include additional ingredients described in Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 108980), expanding the bill's reach beyond the original nine chemicals.

Section 108985.2 now explicitly lists nine intentionally added ingredients (formaldehyde, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, cyclohexylamine, cyclotetrasiloxane, diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate, dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, and lily aldehyde) for which the department must identify accepted testing methods by January 1, 2028.

The notice of violation trigger was changed from finding a 'regulated chemical described in Section 108985.3' to finding 'an intentionally added ingredient for which the department has identified accepted testing methods,' and a new trigger was added: the department's review of a hair relaxer product's ingredient label.

Penalty provisions were reworded to reference violations of Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 108980) for ingredients with identified testing methods, rather than violations of 'this chapter' alone, aligning penalties with the broader cosmetics regulatory framework.

A new subdivision was added to Section 108985.4 authorizing the department to test hair relaxer products using accepted testing methods to support enforcement of the chapter.

Section 108985.7(b) was corrected to remove a drafting error where both 'may create' and 'is hereby created' appeared in the same sentence regarding the C.U.R.L. Act Registration Fee Account.

Removed the fixed January 1, 2030 commencement date for the prohibition on hair relaxers containing specified chemicals. The ban now applies once DTSC has identified accepted testing methods for the relevant ingredients under Section 108985.2, making the effective date dependent on regulatory action rather than a set calendar date.

Changed the notice of violation provision from allowing DTSC to do 'either' assess a penalty or require compliance, to 'either or both.' This gives DTSC the ability to simultaneously impose a penalty and order a manufacturer to cease manufacture, sale, or distribution of a non-compliant product.

Clarified the triggers for a notice of violation by specifying that DTSC's review of a hair relaxer product's ingredient label is an additional basis (alongside manufacturer documentation and DTSC testing) for issuing a notice.

Renamed the defined term from 'hair relaxer' to 'hair relaxer product' throughout the bill for greater precision in the statutory language.

Nine new chemicals were added to the prohibited list in Section 108985.3: formaldehyde, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, cyclohexylamine, cyclotetrasiloxane, diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate, dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, and lily aldehyde. Unlike the existing hydroxide limits (which set specific percentage thresholds), these new chemicals appear to be banned outright with no concentration allowance.

The introductory language of Section 108985.3 changed from 'the following concentrations' to 'the following chemicals,' reflecting that the section now covers both concentration-limited substances and outright-banned substances.

The standalone legislative intent statement ('It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to toxic substances in chemical hair relaxers') was removed as a separate section.

The fiscal committee vote changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has fiscal committee approval. The digest also more explicitly describes the C.U.R.L. Act Registration Fee Account created within the C.U.R.L. Act Fund.

Section 108985.3 was completely rewritten. The old version prohibited hair relaxers containing sodium hydroxide above 2%, calcium hydroxide above 7%, potassium hydroxide above 2%, or lithium hydroxide above 2% (home) or 4.5% (professional). The new version removes all of those and instead bans any hair relaxer containing formaldehyde, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, cyclohexylamine, cyclotetrasiloxane, diethanolamine perfluorooctane sulfonate, dibutyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate, or lily aldehyde at any concentration.

Section 108985.5(a)(1) changed the violation trigger from a product containing a regulated chemical 'in a greater concentration than allowed' to simply containing a regulated chemical described in Section 108985.3, consistent with the shift to outright bans.

Section 108985.6(c) changed 'the court may consider' to 'the department or court may consider' when determining the amount of a civil penalty, giving DTSC direct authority to weigh factors like economic effect and good faith compliance without going through a court.

Section 108985.7(b)(1) changed from mandating creation of the C.U.R.L. Act Registration Fee Account to allowing the department to create it at its discretion, with a fallback that if the account is not created, registration fees go directly into the C.U.R.L. Act Fund.

Section 108985.7(c) added the qualifier 'if it is created' after reference to the Registration Fee Account, acknowledging the account may not exist.

Added a short title (C.U.R.L. Act) and a new Chapter 14.5 to Part 3 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code (Sections 108985 through 108985.7), transforming the bill from a one-line intent statement into a complete statutory framework.

Defined 'hair relaxer' as a product designed to straighten curly, coiled, or tightly coiled hair by breaking disulfide bonds, and defined 'Department' as the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Set chemical concentration limits effective January 1, 2030: sodium hydroxide max 2%, calcium hydroxide max 7%, potassium hydroxide max 2%, lithium hydroxide max 2% for home use and 4.5% for professional use.

Required manufacturers of hair relaxer products to register with DTSC, provide product descriptions, pay a registration fee (capped at reasonable implementation costs), and submit a statement of compliance with supporting analytical test results.

Required DTSC to publish accepted testing methods by January 1, 2028, adopt implementing regulations by January 1, 2030, and require manufacturer registration by July 1, 2030.

Created enforcement mechanisms including notices of violation, administrative or civil penalties with a minimum of $10,000 per violation (assessable per day for continuing violations), injunctive relief through the Attorney General, and attorney's fees for prevailing plaintiffs.

Created the C.U.R.L. Act Fund in the State Treasury to receive penalty revenues, and a C.U.R.L. Act Registration Fee Account within it to receive registration fees. Made all department duties contingent on sufficient funds in the Toxic Substances Control Account and legislative appropriation, with a loan mechanism from that account for startup costs.