Legislation + Regulation

  LightNOW has already written about Maine’s new strict dark sky law, and Hawaii’s proposed dark sky bill. Here is a look at New York State’s proposed dark sky law. New York State’s proposed Dark Skies Protection Act (Assembly Bill A4615 / Senate Bill S5007) is part of a broader effort to reduce light pollution, [...]

  On April 1st, I published an article about the furniture industry’s declining imports and exports in 2025 relative to 2024. This likely indicated an overall decline in the furniture market, due to new 2025 US tariffs. I raised the question of whether similar declines occurred in the US lighting industry. After a little research, [...]

  Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has adopted new General Service Lamp (GSL) regulations that will largely harmonize with the current US GSL requirement of 45 lumens per watt minimum. Timing Manufactured on or after January 1st, 2026 for general service incandescent lamps or a general service incandescent reflector lamps. Manufactured on or after January 1st, [...]

  I was recently struck by a pair of articles in Home News Now, about the reduction in furniture imports and exports in 2025 versus 2024. The reductions suggest tariffs are reducing trade flows on both sides of the furniture market: imports fell almost three times more than exports (on a percentage basis), narrowing the [...]

  A large number of states either have passed or are considering mandatory battery recycling laws, known as “extended producer responsibility,” or EPR laws for batteries. These laws can impact lighting manufacturers that include handheld remote controls or potentially stand alone smart control components containing batteries. By 2027, more than 61 million Americans will live [...]

  In February 2026, the Oregon Building Codes Division’s Residential and Manufactured Structures Board (RMSB) approved updates for the 2026 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC). While the headline changes focus on high-efficiency heat pumps, several lighting efficiency and control updates are included in the new standards to align with current LED technology and regional climate goals. These updates [...]

  The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will indirectly but materially raise the security bar for IoT products sold in North America, because global manufacturers will tend to converge on CRA‑compliant designs and lifecycle practices rather than maintain separate security baselines for different regions. Why CRA matters outside Europe The CRA applies to any “product [...]

  Maine’s LD 1934, titled “An Act to Promote Responsible Outdoor Lighting,” enacted in January 2026, establishes strict, comprehensive regulations to reduce light pollution from new or replaced public outdoor lighting, both residential and commercial. The law mandates specific lighting standards, including a 0.1 lux limit on light trespass into wilderness areas and a required [...]

  LightNOW has recently reported on the new Maine Dark Sky Law enacted in January, as well as a new proposed Hawaiian Dark Sky bill. Both set restrictive / aggressive requirements at night, for both residential and commercial outdoor lighting. The American Lighting Association is tracking more than a dozen Dark Sky state bills across [...]