California Proposition 65

California Proposition 65 
Compliance with Confidence

Turn Legal Risk into Consumer Confidence with CDX

In today's regulatory environment, robust compliance systems like CDX are becoming business necessities rather than options. By implementing comprehensive chemical management platforms, businesses can not only protect themselves from substantial financial penalties and reputation damage but also create opportunities for innovation and market leadership.

With the right approach, California Proposition 65 compliance can be transformed from a regulatory burden into a sustainable competitive advantage through superior chemical intelligence, proactive compliance management, and strategic decision-making in an increasingly chemicals-conscious marketplace.

CDX Features That Simplify California Proposition 65 Compliance

 

Proactive Compliance Management

CDX enables businesses to collect comprehensive material and chemical data that can be immediately assessed when regulations change, eliminating the need for emergency supplier outreach campaigns.

Product Complexity Management

Our flexible data system accurately mirrors actual product composition, from individual chemical substances through materials, subcomponents, and final assemblies.

Comprehensive Documentation Repository

Beyond basic chemical information, CDX collects different documentation types within the same structure, creating a centralized compliance information repository.

Where-Used Analysis

This tool provides instant visibility across your entire product portfolio, identifying where specific substances appear throughout the manufacturing process.

Rapid Regulatory Response

When new chemicals are added to California's Prop 65 list, CDX allows businesses to immediately identify affected products without extensive manual investigation.

Benefits of Using CDX

CDX simplifies and streamlines regulatory compliance across industries by offering a powerful platform for material data management. It ensures compliance with global regulations, enhances supply chain transparency, and reduces operational risk.

Comprehensive Regulatory Compliance Across Multiple Industries

  • CDX supports compliance with major global regulations like REACH, RoHS, SCIP, PFAS, California Proposition 65, EU POPs, TSCA, EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542), and more.
  • CDX includes substance lists like AD-DSL, HEDSL, GADSL, RISL, and the IAEG PFAS List, ensuring industry-specific compliance coverage.

Simplified Supply Chain Communication

  • Built-in workflows and multilingual communication tools enable seamless data exchange between suppliers and customers.
  • Free for suppliers to respond to material data requests, improving data accuracy and response rates.
  • CDX enables multi-tier data requests and traceability, reducing manual follow-ups and ensuring a smoother compliance process.

Automated Data Collection and Reusability

  • CDX allows for data reuse by linking material declarations (MDS) and supplier inputs across multiple products and customers.
  • It includes tools to import/export standardized data (e.g., IPC-1752A, IPC-1754), minimizing duplication and saving time.

SCIP Database Integration

  • CDX automates the creation and submission of SCIP dossiers, ensuring compliance with EU Waste Framework Directive requirements.
  • It supports ECHA´s API for direct uploads and manages required data such as substance of concern, article identifiers, and material categories.

Risk Mitigation

  • Helps prevent product recalls by ensuring accurate tracking of hazardous and restricted substances throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Supports early detection of non-compliant materials, reducing regulatory exposure and costly late-stage design changes.

Security & Data Protection

  • Adheres to high security standards such as ISO certifications and Oracle-powered cloud infrastructure.
  • Ensures secure data storage, controlled access, and compliance with global data protection regulations.

Learn more about Security & Data Protection

Easy Integration with Existing Systems

  • Offers APIs and web services for smooth connection to ERP, PLM, and other enterprise systems.
  • Compatible with multiple data formats including IPC, IEC, and IMDS, reducing technical friction.

Learn more about integration

One Platform - Two Powerful Solutions

 

Material Data Reporting

Stay ahead of global regulations like REACH, SCIP, and RoHS with CDX´s Material Data Reporting tools. Collect, validate, and share material data across your supply chain with ease. Our advanced features ensure compliance, transparency, and streamlined communication.

  • Simplify material data collection and reporting
  • Leverage advanced analytics for compliance insights
  • Seamlessly integrate with standards like IPC-1754 and IEC 62474
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Responsible Minerals Reporting

Take control of your conflict minerals compliance with our Responsible Minerals Reporting solution. Designed for regulatory frameworks like the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act, CDX empowers your team to meet due diligence requirements and drive sustainable sourcing.

  • Simplify Conflict Minerals Declaration (CMD) management
  • Expand reporting with the Extended Minerals Declaration (EMD)
  • Ensure traceability with centralized smelter validation
Learn more

California Proposition 65: What You Need to Know
 

What is California Proposition 65?

California Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires businesses to provide "clear and reasonable" warnings before exposing Californians to any of approximately 9000 chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Despite being a California regulation, its impact extends globally due to California's economic significance as the world's fifth-largest economy, effectively elevating it to a global standard.

What makes Proposition 65 particularly challenging is its unique enforcement structure, which enables private citizens and organizations (sometimes called "bounty hunters") to initiate legal action against non-compliant businesses.

What are the business consequences of non-compliance with Proposition 65?

The impact of non-compliance extends well beyond direct financial penalties. Fines can reach $2,500 per day for each violation, with each non-compliant product potentially constituting a separate violation. In 2022, there were more than 890 Proposition 65 settlements totaling over $26 million, increasing to more than 1,300 settlements by 2024.
Beyond direct financial penalties, the enforcement process itself creates substantial business disruption. Companies facing litigation must redirect significant resources toward legal defense and settlement negotiations, while also risking substantial reputation damage as consumers often interpret violations as indicators of general product safety concerns.

Who is responsible for compliance within the supply chain?

Compliance responsibility flows across multiple entities within supply chains, establishing shared accountability that cannot be easily delegated or avoided. Manufacturers must identify potential chemical exposures in their products, distributors must ensure proper warning information travels with products through the supply chain, and retailers bear responsibility for displaying appropriate warnings at the point of sale. Foreign manufacturers are increasingly being held accountable as well, demonstrating the truly global reach of this California regulation.

Warning label requirements are specific and evolving. Compliant warnings must include a distinctive symbol (black exclamation point within a yellow triangle), the word "WARNING" in capital letters (changing to "CA WARNING" or "CALIFORNIA WARNING" by January 1, 2025), and textual content identifying at least one listed chemical and specifying whether it causes cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Recent regulatory amendments are phasing out short-form warnings that don't identify specific chemicals, with the transition period ending January 1, 2028.
 

 
 

What are Safe Harbor provisions and how do they apply?

Proposition 65 offers businesses "safe harbor" provisions where warnings aren't needed if chemical exposures fall below established levels. However, proving compliance through testing often becomes technically challenging and expensive for many companies to implement effectively.

When dealing with chemicals that lack established safe harbor levels, businesses face the additional burden of demonstrating that warnings aren't necessary, typically requiring expert consultation and detailed exposure assessments. These practical difficulties lead many businesses to take a cautious approach by providing warnings even in situations where they might not be strictly required, especially for products potentially containing listed substances.

This preventative strategy helps businesses avoid potential compliance issues while managing the complex regulatory requirements of Proposition 65.

How can companies turn Prop 65 compliance into a competitive advantage?

With California's economy ranking as the fifth-largest globally and Proposition 65 regulations becoming increasingly stringent, compliance is evolving from simple warning requirements to comprehensive chemical management. Companies using CDX position themselves as leaders in the transition toward safer products and sustainable manufacturing.

Proposition 65 compliance offers a path to stronger supply chains, better product formulations, and increased consumer trust. When finding alternatives to listed chemicals, manufacturers often discover materials with improved performance that also reduce health risks. With CDX as your partner, you can turn regulatory challenges into business opportunities.

California Proposition 65 -
Understanding Compliance Requirements and Business Impact

California Proposition 65 represents one of the most far-reaching consumer protection laws in the United States, with implications that extend well beyond California's borders.
This comprehensive regulation aims to protect consumers from potential exposure to harmful chemicals, but it also creates significant compliance challenges for businesses around the world.

Download the Whitepaper

CDX Updates to Streamline Your California Proposition 65 Compliance
 

April 29, 2025

United States, California: Adds Bisphenol S (BPS) to Proposition 65 List for Male Reproductive Toxicity

January 16, 2025

Prop 65: Amendment of Short-Form Warning Requirements

January 16, 2025

Prop 65: California Amends Proposition 65 Warning Options for Acrylamide in Food

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Explore the Regulatory Landscape

 

Get SCIP Ready

Use CDX to report substances of concern and ensure your products meet EU SCIP database requirements.

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Comply with REACH

CDX helps you manage and document chemical substances across your supply chain to comply with REACH.

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Meet RoHS Standards

Leverage CDX to track and limit hazardous substances in electronics and electrical equipment efficiently.

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Manage PFAS Risks

CDX supports your efforts to identify, assess, and manage PFAS usage across evolving global regulations.

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Stay CA Prop 65 Compliant

CDX helps you identify and manage chemicals listed under California´s Proposition 65 requirements.

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Ensure Responsible Sourcing

Use CDX to collect and validate Conflict Minerals and Extended Materials data across your supply chain.

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Optimize Compliance. Stay compliant and competitive in a changing regulatory landscape.

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