S. 1092, WIPPES Act

S. 1092 would require manufacturers and suppliers of disposable wipes to clearly mark their products with a “do not flush” label and symbol. Failure to comply would be considered an unfair or deceptive practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would be responsible for enforcement.

Using information from the FTC and based on the cost of similar requirements, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1092 would cost the FTC $4 million over the 2025-2030 period to issue guidance and monitor and enforce those requirements. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Companies that failed to meet the new requirements could face civil penalties, which are recorded as revenues. Whether the FTC would pursue civil penalties or some other remedy for violations is unclear. In any event, CBO expects that companies would generally comply with the new requirements and that any additional penalties collected over the 2025-2035 period would be insignificant.

S. 1092 would impose mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). CBO estimates that the costs to comply with the intergovernmental and private-sector mandates would not exceed the thresholds established in UMRA ($103 million and $206 million in 2025, respectively, adjusted annually for inflation).

S. 1092 would preempt some state and local laws governing the labeling of certain disposable wipes. Although the preemptions would limit the application of state and local laws, they would impose no duty on state or local governments that would result in significant spending or loss of revenues.

The bill would require manufacturers of certain disposable wipes to label their products with a “do not flush” label and symbol. Because manufacturers already are complying with similar laws enacted in California, Illinois, and several other states, CBO estimates that the cost for manufacturers to comply with the mandate would be small.

On June 27, 2025, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 2269, the WIPPES Act, as passed by the House of Representatives on June 23, 2025. The two pieces of legislation are similar, and CBO’s estimates of their budgetary effects are the same.

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Margot Berman (for federal costs) and Rachel Austin (for mandates). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.