Issues with grave business implications for home furnishings companies are on the
2026 Regulatory Summit program, slated for October 28-29 at The Conference Center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, North Carolina.
“Regulations described just last year as ‘on the horizon’ already are barreling toward implementation,” cautions Bill Perdue, AHFA's vice president of regulatory affairs. “That, and the program’s close proximity to Halloween, led us to this year’s Grave Matters In Compliance theme.”
At the top of the agenda will be the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessment for formaldehyde, which now impacts wood furniture producers for worker exposure and upholstery producers for consumer exposure. AHFA has invited Ana Corado, acting director of the EPA’s Existing Chemicals Risk Management Division, to address these impacts.
Additional sessions on this topic will include:
- How worker exposure limits in the formaldehyde risk assessment differ from current OSHA rules;
- What AHFA is doing to block EPA’s efforts to include foam in upholstered seating and bedding as a source of “unreasonable risk” of formaldehyde exposure for consumers; and
- How the Small Business Advocacy Review process works and why it is key to the formaldehyde risk management rule outcome.
After a long hiatus, California’s Proposition 65 labeling law is back on the agenda, this time to address the state’s listing of vinyl acetate as a carcinogen in January last year. An update on state-level PFAS reporting is also on the program, along with the implications of recent media attention focused on PFAS and the carpet industry.
Importers will have been e-filing for more than three months by the time this year's Regulatory Summit is underway. Matt Howsare of Cooley LLP, who has helped AHFA members prepare for the transition to electronic compliance documentation, will report on any snags in the program’s implementation.
Finally, special guest Mandy Gunasekara, who served as the EPA’s chief of staff for one year during the first Trump administration, will provide a keynote address on the inner workings of the EPA. During a reception to close out day one of the program, she will sign copies of her book, “Y’all Fired: A Southern Belle’s Guide to Restoring Federalism and Draining the Swamp,” published in April 2024.
The Regulatory Summit is designed for professionals responsible for regulatory affairs, product safety, legal compliance and supply chain oversight. Registration is $299 and covers lunch both days plus the reception on October 28.
For questions about the summit program, please contact
Bill Perdue. Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to
Gene Clark.