State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) passed legislation out of the Illinois House today that provides exemptions for household products so consumers looking to purchase common cleaning products will not have to show identification and merchants will not face large fines.
House Bill 4523 is aimed at amending Public Act 97-0565 (House Bill 2193). This Act was signed into law with the intent of preventing acid attacks, but merchants found that new regulations overreach the Act’s intended goal. The new law makes possession of caustic chemicals a Class 4 felony, while also requiring consumers to provide identification and sign a registration log when purchasing caustic materials.
While the law is aimed at sulfuric acid, lye, and similar industrial strength chemicals, merchants are finding that the vague language in the bill might require them to ask for identification for items such as drain and toilet cleaners and pool chemicals. Faced with up to a $1,500 fine, merchants are playing it safe and requiring consumers to sign the chemical registration log.
“A lot of good causes turn into laws with unintended consequences,” said Gaffney. “After hearing from local merchants and consumers about the burden this law places on them, I went to work on legislation to exempt Drano and common cleaning products from the registration requirement. I believe House Bill 4523 will reduce the burden on both consumers and merchants and I’m hopeful that the Senate will pass it as the House did today.”
House Bill 4523 passed the Illinois House of Representatives unanimously and now moves to the Illinois Senate for consideration.
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