In the US, Coin Laundry Association President and CEO Brian Wallace, CLA Board Chair Brian Holland, and a group of influential Southern California laundromat owners have recently met with California State Assembly member Tina McKinnor. They wanted to discuss a recent veto of a bill that originally had sought to require all new washing machines sold in California for state, residential, and commercial use be fitted with microfiber filtration systems by January 1, 2029.

Through an aggressive advocacy campaign, CLA and its lobbying partners were able to convince the lawmakers that commercial washers must be differentiated from residential washers. As a result, the Senate Appropriations Committee agreed to adopt a CLA-proposed amendment to strike commercial washers from the bill entirely. However, the bill has been vetoed, based on alleged costs to consumers and the need for further research.

According to Wallace “CLA is engaged with its lobbying partners to map out a strategy for the next 15 months to monitor developments and make an effort to proactively engage in conversations with the bill’s sponsors about what the laundromat industry is willing to do to create a positive impact for all on the microfiber issue. Going forward, we also want to develop a plan for a strong grassroots engagement from the laundromat industry in California.”