PPAI has made strong progress in Washington over the past few years. But myriad state laws present a separate and more complicated challenge, with a multitude of laws across different legislatures, different regulations and different timelines.
To help our members stay better informed and prepared, the Association has developed a new resource to help raise awareness and empower action at the state level.
- PPAI’s new State-Level Tracking page provides a searchable list of relevant legislation and regulatory developments tied to specific issues of interest to the branded merchandise industry.
- Current areas of focus are PFAS regulation, extended producer responsibility laws and ethics rules & gift limits.
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“State-level policy activity is becoming increasingly complex, and businesses need a clearer way to understand the issues that could affect them,” says Alok Bhat, PPAI’s director of research & public affairs. “PPAI’s State-Level Tracking resource brings this information together in one place, helping members and regional associations stay informed, prepared and engaged.”
How We Built The State-Level Tracking Page
The page features an embedded, interactive map and table powered by Quorum, an AI-powered legislative data platform.
Based on the Association’s advocacy priorities and member input, PPAI’s public affairs team started with several hot-button issues (listed above) to start with a curated list of bills. The information in the tool will be continually refreshed with new bills, status changes and emerging issues.
Alok Bhat
PPAI’s Director of Research & Public Affairs
“For our industry, the challenge isn’t just knowing that a bill has been introduced. It’s understanding where issues are emerging, what they could mean for our businesses and when our industry may need to engage,” says Bhat. “This is a dynamic resource that will continue to evolve as bills move through the legislative process, helping our members and regional associations stay informed and giving us the opportunity to engage early when it matters.”
How To Use This New Resource
The State-Level Tracking page is searchable in two ways: by clicking the map or by using filters at the top of each column in the table. (There’s also a search bar at the top, but that method requires more detailed information and is less user-friendly.)
- Click a state on the map to view all tracked bills for that state in the table below. You can click multiple states to see bills for several states together.
- Click the arrow at the top of each column to access the Filter and Sort buttons. For example, you can filter issues to see only PFAS bills, sort states by alphabetical order, or use both to see only PFAS bills in a particular state.
- Use the navigation bar at the bottom of the table to scroll right to review all available information.
- Hover over or click the desired summary field for a pop-up box featuring a detailed summary of the bill.
- Bills are listed chronologically by default, so the order in the table does not indicate priority.
The table includes bill name & number, the state, which issue(s), the official bill summary, an AI summary, a link to the actual bill text, a detailed status (e.g., introduced, referred to committee, sent to the governor for signature, etc.), which committee is considering the bill, and any future hearing dates scheduled for the bill in that committee.
Regional association leaders attending PPAI’s Leadership Development Conference in October got the first look at the new advocacy tool and expressed excitement about its potential.
“Having a resource like this that keeps us updated on current legislation under consideration will be indispensable,” said PPACW board member Dave Rappe, principal of Wisconsin-based The Promo Agency.
