WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives has passed the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act, a move that would make California's Technical Bulletin 117-2013 a federal flammability standard.
A Senate version of the bill was introduced in May, and like the House bill, it has bipartisan support. If passed, it will pave the way for the flammability standard to be adopted.
"If SOFFA is now passed by the Senate, it will provide a legislative victory for both parties and, more importantly, a win for American consumers," AHFA CEO Andy Counts said.
TB 117-2013 lays out performance standards and methods for testing the smolder resistance of the materials used in upholstered furniture. It has had the backing of a wide range of stakeholders, including the American Home Furnishings Alliance, firefighters and fire experts, consumer groups and environmentalists.
The AHFA began its push for the standard in 2015 when it asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt TB 117-2013 as a mandatory standard for residential furniture. When the commission declined, AHFA devised its own plan, which led to this legislative approach.