What Is California AB 1901?

AB 1901 is a California bill focused specifically on ingredient disclosure for children's diapers.

The legislation was introduced by Assemblymember Marc Berman in February 2026. It passed the California Assembly on May 26 by a vote of 68–1 and subsequently moved through several Senate committees. On August 13, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 7–0 to advance the bill, and it was ordered to a third reading. As of August 17, 2026, the bill remains active and has not yet become law.

The current bill covers absorbent products designed for infants and children, including disposable diapers, protective underwear, liners, boosters, inserts and underpads. It also treats individual diaper components-including absorbent materials, outer layers, adhesives, dyes, fragrances and wetness indicators-as part of the product.

What Would Diaper Manufacturers Need to Disclose?

If the current version of AB 1901 becomes law, manufacturers would need to provide significantly more detailed information than consumers typically find on today's diaper packaging.

For every intentionally added ingredient, manufacturers would have to disclose:

The chemical or raw material name

The Chemical Abstract Service, or CAS, number

The specific function or purpose of the ingredient

Ingredients organized according to chemical or raw material weight

The information would need to be made easily accessible rather than hidden inside technical documents.

Online Ingredient Disclosure

By January 1, 2029, manufacturers covered by the legislation would need to publish their ingredient information on their own websites.

The same information would also need to appear on product detail pages where affected diapers are sold online.

That point could be particularly important for diaper brands selling through direct-to-consumer websites, marketplaces and major retailers.

Product pages may eventually need to contain more than absorbency claims, size charts and marketing statements. Ingredient documentation could become part of the standard product information architecture.

Packaging Requirements

The proposed law also introduces physical packaging requirements.

By January 1, 2029, children's diapers manufactured or distributed in California would need to include an ingredient list and a website address where consumers can access the complete required information.

For diapers sold in California, the corresponding deadline under the current bill text would be July 1, 2029.

This means packaging development, printing schedules and private-label approval processes may need to be considered well before the final deadline if the proposal becomes law.

Why Are Diaper Ingredients Receiving More Attention?

Disposable diapers are complex products.

A modern diaper can contain nonwoven fabrics, absorbent polymers, fluff pulp, elastic materials, adhesives, films, inks, dyes, lotions and other functional components.

Many of these materials perform important roles, including:

Improving liquid absorption

Reducing leakage

Keeping the surface dry

Improving fit and elasticity

Maintaining structural integrity

Providing wetness indicators

Improving comfort and appearance

Historically, however, consumers have not always been given a complete breakdown of every intentionally added component.

That gap between technical product formulation and consumer-facing information is now attracting greater regulatory attention.

New York already requires ingredient labeling for disposable diapers sold in the state, with its requirements taking effect in December 2025. California's AB 1901 would go further by requiring additional details such as ingredient functions and CAS numbers.

What About PFAS, Phthalates and Other Chemicals?

Part of the discussion surrounding diaper transparency has focused on substances such as PFAS, phthalates, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde and certain heavy metals.

Advocacy groups and researchers have raised questions about potential exposure to some chemicals identified in disposable hygiene products. At the same time, the existing evidence does not mean that all disposable diapers contain these substances or that ordinary diaper use has been demonstrated to cause specific health conditions.

The Guardian, reporting on the California proposal, noted previous testing and research that identified various chemicals in some diaper and disposable hygiene products. It also acknowledged that research on long-term exposure in babies remains limited.

This distinction is important.

For manufacturers and brands, ingredient transparency should not automatically be treated as evidence that a product is unsafe. Instead, it reflects a broader movement toward greater documentation of what goes into consumer products.

AB 1901 Is a Disclosure Bill - Not a Chemical Ban

One detail is especially important for companies following the legislation.

AB 1901 does not currently prohibit specific diaper ingredients.

Its primary purpose is disclosure.

The official legislative text establishes requirements for manufacturers to identify intentionally added ingredients and their purposes. California already regulates PFAS in several other categories of consumer products, but AB 1901 itself is structured around transparency rather than a new ingredient prohibition.

This has practical implications.

A manufacturer may not necessarily need to reformulate an entire diaper because of AB 1901. However, it may need much better visibility into its raw materials and chemical inputs.

That can be challenging in a supply chain involving:

Nonwoven fabric suppliers

SAP suppliers

Fluff pulp suppliers

Hot-melt adhesive manufacturers

PE film manufacturers

Printing ink suppliers

Elastic material suppliers

Fragrance or lotion suppliers

Packaging suppliers

The ability to obtain accurate documentation from each supplier could become increasingly important.

What Could AB 1901 Mean for Private Label Diaper Brands?

For established multinational brands, regulatory compliance teams can handle much of this work internally.

For smaller private-label brands, importers and distributors, the situation may be different.

Many private-label diaper companies do not manufacture the products themselves. They rely on an OEM or ODM diaper manufacturer to provide formulation data, safety documents and raw material information.

That makes the manufacturer's supply-chain management increasingly important.

Private-label buyers may begin asking suppliers questions such as:

Can you provide a complete raw material list?

Can each material be traced back to an approved supplier?

Can you provide CAS information where applicable?

Do you have documentation for adhesives, inks, lotions and wetness indicators?

Can the formulation remain consistent between production batches?

Can you support ingredient disclosure requirements for different markets?

In other words, compliance capability could gradually become another factor used to evaluate diaper manufacturers-not just price, absorbency and production capacity.

Ingredient Transparency May Become a Competitive Advantage

The significance of the California proposal may extend beyond legal compliance.

Consumers increasingly compare products based on information that was once invisible.

For diaper brands, transparency can potentially become part of positioning.

Instead of relying only on broad claims such as:

"Natural"

"Plant-based"

"Gentle"

"Eco-friendly"

"Premium"

brands may increasingly need to explain exactly what those claims mean.

A product described as plant-based, for example, may still contain several conventional synthetic components because different parts of the diaper have different technical requirements.

Clearer material disclosure can help brands communicate these distinctions more precisely.

For manufacturers, this creates an opportunity to provide buyers with better documentation rather than simply offering another generic private-label diaper.

What Diaper Manufacturers Should Start Preparing

AB 1901 has not yet become law, and its requirements could still change during the legislative process.

Manufacturers therefore do not need to treat the current text as a finalized compliance standard.

However, improving internal ingredient documentation is useful regardless of what happens to the bill.

Diaper manufacturers supplying the U.S. market can consider reviewing:

1. Raw Material Traceability

Maintain a clear record of the materials used in each diaper structure and the suppliers responsible for them.

2. Ingredient Documentation

Collect technical information for adhesives, inks, films, elastic components, lotions and other intentionally added materials.

3. Supplier Compliance Documents

Make sure critical material suppliers can provide relevant technical data and declarations when required.

4. Formulation Change Control

Changes in SAP, nonwoven fabric, adhesives or other components should be documented rather than introduced without traceability.

5. Private Label Documentation

OEM customers may increasingly expect technical information that can support their own regulatory and retail requirements.

6. Website Product Data

Manufacturers and brands should consider whether their websites can support structured ingredient and material information at the SKU level.

The companies that build these systems early may find it easier to respond as transparency rules develop across different markets.

A Broader Signal for the Disposable Hygiene Industry

AB 1901 currently focuses on children's diapers, so it should not be interpreted as a California ingredient-disclosure mandate for all adult incontinence products.

Still, the direction of travel is relevant to the broader disposable hygiene industry.

Baby diapers, adult diapers, sanitary products and other absorbent hygiene products share many categories of raw materials and often rely on overlapping supplier networks.

When major markets raise expectations around chemical disclosure and material traceability in one category, similar questions can eventually appear elsewhere.

For OEM and private-label manufacturers, that makes transparency a supply-chain issue rather than simply a packaging issue.

What Happens Next?

As of August 17, 2026, AB 1901 is still moving through the California Legislature.

After passing the Assembly by 68–1, the bill cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 13 and was ordered to third reading. The official California legislative system lists it as an active bill in floor process.

The final legislation could still be amended before becoming law.

Diaper manufacturers, brands and importers selling into the United States should therefore follow the final legislative text rather than relying solely on early media reports.

Final Thoughts

California AB 1901 reflects a larger change taking place in the disposable hygiene industry.

Price, absorbency and softness will remain important. But brands are increasingly being asked another question:

What exactly is inside the product?

For diaper manufacturers, answering that question requires more than a good marketing department.

It requires raw material traceability, stronger supplier documentation, consistent manufacturing processes and the ability to provide private-label customers with reliable product information.

Whether or not AB 1901 ultimately becomes law in its current form, ingredient transparency is likely to remain an important issue for diaper brands serving increasingly informed consumers and regulated markets.

For OEM and private-label diaper businesses, preparing for that environment can begin long before a new label is printed.