Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire has signed into law a measure requiring that toys sold in the state be free of toxins. 

The measure states that any product made for children that contains more than trace amounts of lead, cadmium, and phthalates cannot be made, sold or distributed in Washington state beginning in July 2009.  The measure also requires companies to disclose if their products contain other toxins identified by the Department of Ecology as high risk for children. 

Covered by the requirements are children’s cosmetics, children’s jewelry, toys and car seats.  Exempted toys include roller skates, toy steam engines, bicycles and tricycles, chemistry sets and video toys. 

Gregoire left room for significant changes to be made to the bill over the next year, announcing she would create an advisory group to assess its standards, timelines and testing requirements. 

The governor expressed concerns about several aspects of the bill, including reporting and testing requirements that could make it difficult for small toy makers and independent toy retailers to provide specialty toys.  

She also directed the state Department of Ecology, working with the advisory group, to prepare rules to clarify that the bill does not apply to internal electronic components that are not accessible to children, such as chip boards and wiring in things like educational games.