ADVOCACY & POLICY
The Fashion Connection is proud to actively support the following legislation:
State Legislation
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About
This bill would require producers in the state of California to establish a stewardship program for the collection and recycling of “postconsumer apparel or post consumer textile articles”. This bill would help increase textile-to-textile recycling in the state of California as well as increase domestic circular fashion efforts.
Quick facts about U.S. textile waste
The average American discarded nearly 103.5 pounds of textile waste in 2018
Over 900 million used clothing items were exported to Kenya for “reuse” in 2021–primarily from the U.S..
An estimated 40% of textiles imported to East Africa are of such poor quality they are discarded upon arrival, ending up in local landfills
Less than 1% of clothes are recycled into new clothes, and garment production volumes are growing by 2.7% annually, according to a 2021 report by McKinsey & Company.
Learn more about how you can support SB-707 here.
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About
Currently, there is no regulatory entity at the global level to oversee the fashion industry. The Fashion Act is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that strives to address the lack of global regulation and would affect any business doing business out of New York.
The Fashion Act would:
Mandate that companies know and disclose their supply chains.
Require companies to be responsible for their impact in those supply chains, through the legally binding Mandatory Due Diligence Framework.
Require companies to set and achieve climate reductions in line with the Paris Agreement.
Require companies to work with their suppliers to effectively manage their chemical use.
Measurably improve the lives of garment workers.
*Language taken directly from The Fashion Act Factsheet.
Learn more here.
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The Fashion Workers Act would hold management agencies accountable and create basic protections for the models and content creators in New York’s fashion industry.
The Fashion Workers Act would require management agencies to:
Establish a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their talent.
Provide models with copies of contracts and agreements.
Notify formerly represented models if they collect royalties on their behalf.
Register and deposit a surety bond of $50,000 with the NYS Department of State.
Protect the health and safety of models, including by establishing a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.
*Language taken directly from The Fashion Act Factsheet.
Learn more here.
YOUR VOICE MATTERS
Change is happening in the U.S. and globally now. For a comprehensive list of additional legislation globally, visit the HeyFashion! Legislation Tracker
Federal Legislation
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The FABRIC Act proposes major new workplace protections and manufacturing incentives to cement the US as the global leader in responsible apparel production.
The Fabric ACT would:
Establish a nationwide garment industry registry through the Department of Labor to promote transparency, hold bad actors accountable, and level the playing field.
Hold fashion brands and retailers alongside manufacturing partners jointly accountable for workplace wage violations to incentivize responsible production.
Set hourly pay in the garment industry and eliminate piece rate pay until the minimum wage is met to ensure jobs with dignity.
*Language taken directly from The Fashion Act Factsheet.
Learn more here.
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The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is a United States federal law that ensures that American entities are not funding forced labor among ethnic minorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The Uygur Force Labor Prevention Act was signed into law in December of 2021.
Learn more here.
CHANGE IS HAPPENING NOW
Want to take action? Contact your local representative!
Advocacy Groups
You can also check out the following groups to learn more about opportunities to advocate for a more conscious fashion industry, as well as TFC’s Platform.
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ATEST (The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking) is a US-based coalition that advocates for solutions to end all forms of human trafficking around the world. ATEST advocates for robust funding of anti-trafficking work (including both labor and sex trafficking), holistic legislation and programmatic implementation that includes a victim-centered policy approach, strong US leadership in the global fight to confront human trafficking, and development of a stronger and inclusive anti-trafficking movement that builds collective voice and power. Reviewing their policy priorities and other resources can be a great place to start before reaching out to your elected officials.
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Dressember is a collaborative movement leveraging fashion and creativity to restore dignity to victims and survivors of human trafficking. The organization equips a community of advocates to fight for the dignity of all people, leading to the protection and freedom of millions. Dressember offers a number of ways to get involved, perhaps most notably through their annual challenge to wear a dress or tie during the 31 days of December.
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Polaris is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that works to combat and prevent human trafficking. Polaris also runs the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The organization’s website provides easy ways to support the movement beyond giving money -- sign a petition, send a letter to congress, or make a pledge.
TAKE ACTION
We help you advocate to improve the fashion industry’s impact on people and the planet. Reach out to us if you’d like to learn more.