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States continue to consider adding a bittering agent (most commonly, denatonium benzoate) to antifreeze in order to protect pets and small children from ingesting the substance. California has required the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze since 2002 and Oregon since 1991. Since 2005, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have passed legislation requiring the addition of a bittering agent to antifreeze.
In 2006 and 2007, Illinois and Pennsylvania adopted resolutions in support of the passage of the federal antifreeze bittering additive legislation.
The Alabama, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina legislatures have considered but not passed bills requiring a bittering additive in recent years.
At the federal level, the Antifreeze Bittering Act was introduced in the 108th Congress (2005-06). S. 1110 did not advance after its placement on the Senate Legislative calendar. In the U.S. House, H.R. 2567 passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but did not progress any further. The AVMA supported the passage of both bills and encourages the use of clear warning labels emphasizing the potential danger of Ethylene Glycol to animals. Similar legislation, HR 615, was introduced in the 111th Congress in 2009.
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= AVMA/SAVMA Members Only
