California lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban bisphenol A (BPA) in containers designed to be used by children under three years of age.

BPA is a synthetic hormone that has been shown to leach out of a certain type of plastic when heated, endangering the health of consumers. Hard polycarbonate plastic is used in baby bottles, toddler cups, water bottles and other recipients.

A report by the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health revealed in mid-April that their study on mice given BPA on regular basis resulted in precancerous prostate tumors, urinary system problems and early puberty when the animals were given low doses of the chemical.

“However, because these effects in animals occur at bisphenol A exposure levels similar to those experienced by humans, the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed,” the report concluded.

The report was highly contested by plastic industry representatives who called the lab experiments inconclusive and flawed. But its results have been confirmed in time by other studies making consumers anxious over the possible adverse effects of BPA.

Given the circumstances, California lawmakers are seriously considering to ban BPA in plastic baby bottles and baby formula cans used by children younger than 3. If the proposal passes, California will become the first state to restrict BPA and it is not the first state considering such a law. Eleven other states are considering laws forbidding BPA as well. Canada has already made public its intention to ban the use of BPA in baby bottles, and Congress is considering legislation to ban it in children designed for children.

“I think manufacturers who make money should do all they can to make their products safe. This is just one step. It ought to be banned for everything,” the bill’s author, Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco said.