CRN Members-only webinar.
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CRN will hold an hour-long webinar on Wednesday, December 10 at 2:00 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM (Pacific) to provide an overview of a new California law imposing new testing and disclosure requirements to prenatal (and postnatal) dietary supplements.
Contact Christian Taylor (ctaylor@crnusa.org) with questions.
BACKGROUND: In October, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law S.B. 646 (authored by Democratic California Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D.) to extend to prenatal vitamins the testing and disclosure requirements for baby food which was imposed through a 2023 law (CA A.B. 899) covering arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead.
CRN was significantly engaged in the legislative process and submitted recommendations to address a multitude of concerns with the proposed bill. Given our longstanding relationship with the Senator, she indicated that she was open to our perspective and requested that we convene conversations with the official sponsors of the legislation: the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the group Unleaded Kids. Those conversations were held, as well as discussions about California Department of Public Health feedback on the proposal.
CRN successfully negotiated and secured several key amendments to the bill during discussions with the NGO bill sponsors and other stakeholders to limit some of its most damaging requirements. That said, CRN continued to oppose the final version of the bill, which was ultimately passed by the California State Legislature. We sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom (D) asking for a veto, citing concerns about unintended consequences.
In addition, CRN President & CEO Steve Mister published an op-ed in Capitol Weekly, the main political newspaper in Sacramento, warning that the bill could discourage women from taking prenatal vitamins.
Despite these efforts, the political climate led to the bill being signed into law, effective January 1, 2027.
Join us for our informational webinar next week, Wednesday, Dec. 10, to understand the law and what's ahead for the industry.