The District of Columbia has stolen a march on the states with DC B22-0341.
While most of the bill's 124 pages deal with budgetary issues, Title VI, Subtitle J on page 88 includes an indefinite moratorium on "any synthetic turf fields made from crumb rubber or other materials made from recycled tires on property owned or leased by the District." The bill was introduced, amended, and passed by the city Council on the same day, and as of the time of writing was awaiting action by the Mayor. However, even if the provision clears the Mayor's line item veto, the budget still faces approval by Congress.
Currently only two state synthetic turf bills show movement; California AB 509 and Massachusetts HB 3627. The Massachusetts bill, which received a hearing on June 12 before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, seeks to ban the use of bonds to fund athletic fields or playgrounds constructed with crumb rubber. The California bill's impact is more subtle; along with numerous changes to the state's tire recycling program, it would repeal the current Rubberized Pavement Market Development Act's incentives. Eligibility for future incentives would exclude use for synthetic turf infill, loose rubber nugget or mulch playgrounds, tire-derived fuel, as an intermediate product, or most landfill cover uses. The bill passed the Assembly and Senate Committee on Environmental Quality, but has not received a floor vote.
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