According to amended Proposition 65 regulations released by OEHHA, the short‑form warning rule has been officially updated, entering into force on January 1, 2025 with a three‑year transition period ending January 1, 2028. Lab MDL test results cannot independently trigger Proposition 65 warning obligations. Compliance judgement is based on calculated daily consumer exposure in µg/day, compared against two core safe‑harbor benchmarks: NSRL for cancer‑causing hazards and MADL for reproductive‑toxic hazards. For lead compounds widely found in fishing‑tackle metal parts, the oral NSRL for cancer risk is 15 µg/day, while the oral MADL for birth‑defect and other reproductive harm stands at 0.5 µg/day.

Prior to this regulatory update, businesses could adopt generic short‑form warnings only stating “Cancer” or “Reproductive Harm” without naming specific hazardous substances. Under the revised rule, newly‑manufactured fishing tackle sold in California after Jan 1, 2028 shall apply updated short‑form warnings. For cancer risk and reproductive‑toxic risk respectively, the warning must identify at least one corresponding listed chemical. Both physical packaging and e‑commerce product display pages need to implement the updated warning requirements. Industry violation statistics show that 57% of Prop‑65‑related claim notices against fishing tackle stem from lead exposure bringing both cancer risk and reproductive‑toxic risk. Nickel‑release and cadmium exposure cases, which may also trigger cancer or reproductive harm, account for 22% of total tackle‑associated enforcement notices.

Total recorded Prop‑65 violation settlement costs for North‑American fishing‑tackle manufacturers and importers reached USD 2.78 million in 2025.

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