Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed a bill establishing a mattress stewardship program, saying the program is a mandate that makes mattresses more expensive for consumers.
HB 86, introduced by Del. Amy Laufer, would have required certain mattress producers and retailers, as well as mattress “renovators,” to register with a certified mattress recycling organization by June 1, 2027. The organization would have needed to submit a plan detailing collection, transportation and recycling criteria for the program.
The program would have also established a recycling fee as a separate line item that consumers would pay when they bought a mattress. That fee amount would have been set by the recycling organization.
Spanberger took issue with the program’s design, noting in her veto letter that the money from fees on new mattresses would have been “earmarked for one specific organization.”
Spanberger said she recognizes that discarded mattresses can crowd landfills and that Virginia needs reliable recycling options for the materials, but “mandating that all mattress retailers that sell to Virginians participate in a single recycling program and increase their prices makes this program unworkable for the Commonwealth.”
The bill faced criticism from some other lawmakers who said the legislation would create unnecessary fees for consumers. The bill passed the House in February with a 67‑30 vote, then in March squeaked by in the Senate following the chair’s vote that broke a 20-20 tie.
Environment Virginia, which supported the bill, argued that adding a fee at the point of sale rather than at the mattress’ end of life would help build a more reliable recycling network. Few options exist for Virginians to responsibly dispose of mattresses, and some of those disposal options come with high fees that can lead to illegal dumping, the group said.
The International Sleep Products Association and Mattress Recycling Council had also supported the bill, saying it would create more pathways for mattress recycling.
In neighboring Maryland, lawmakers proposed a similar bill this year, but it failed to move forward before the session ended on April 13.
In Massachusetts, which has a mattress disposal ban, lawmakers also introduced a mattress stewardship bill. That state’s extended producer responsibility commission last year recommended lawmakers consider mattress EPR legislation along with bills for items like electronics and paint. It also recommended further study of EPR options for packaging.
Oregon lawmakers passed a mattress stewardship law in 2022, and that program officially launched in 2025. Consumers in that state pay an assessment fee of $22.50 when they buy a new mattress, which pays for the program.
Other states with mattress stewardship programs include California, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
In New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte in March vetoed a paint stewardship bill, criticizing it as an added tax on residents. That bill had support from waste industry players such as Casella.
