WASHINGTON - The National Paint & Coatings Association says a measure signed into law by California Gov. Gray Davis will require the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to follow more stringent guidelines in the development of future suggested control measures (SCMs) affecting VOCs in architectural and industrial maintenance coatings.

The law, which the NPCA is describing as a major victory in its campaign for technologically feasible regulations on coatings in California, requires that CARB determine that adequate data exists to establish that a suggested control measure is "commercially and technologically feasible and necessary."

CARB's suggested control measures do not directly regulate VOCs, but are used as a model for development of regulations by the state's regional air-quality districts.

The NPCA and California Paint Council campaigned for passage of the measure. Testifying in support of the measure earlier this year were Paint Council Chairman Tim Simpson, president of Simpson Coatings, and Christine Stanley, vice president of Technology for Ameron International Corp.'s coatings business.

More information on the new state law is available from the NPCA website at www.paint.org.