The recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) response to congressional offices regarding the agency’s long-awaited reusable healthcare textiles study represents a significant development for the linen, uniform and facility services industry, and one that follows months of advocacy by TRSA members during the association’s 2026 Laundry Hill Day.
The CDC’s July 10 response confirms that the agency has completed a draft report and that it is currently undergoing final internal review and clearance. For TRSA members, the response validates the importance of face-to-face engagement with policymakers. Laundry Hill Day participants shared firsthand accounts of how commercial laundries supported hospitals and healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing reusable isolation gowns, linens and other essential healthcare textiles when disposable products became scarce.
TRSA members also highlighted the industry’s scale and significance. The association notes that member companies process approximately 90% of healthcare contact textiles used in U.S. healthcare facilities, making them essential partners in patient care and healthcare operations nationwide.
During Laundry Hill Day, which took place on Feb. 19 in Washington, DC, executives from TRSA member companies and across the industry met with lawmakers and congressional staff to emphasize the critical role reusable healthcare textiles play in protecting healthcare workers, strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting emergency preparedness. A key priority was securing the release of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study examining the feasibility and benefits of expanding reusable textiles in healthcare settings.
Their efforts helped elevate congressional interest in a report that has been anticipated since the CDC previously indicated it would be completed in 2024. Industry representatives stressed that healthcare facilities remain heavily dependent on disposable products despite evidence that reusable alternatives can provide equivalent protection while enhancing supply-chain resilience and reducing environmental impacts.
Following those advocacy meetings, congressional offices continued pressing federal agencies for answers. In February 2026, lawmakers formally requested the release of the completed study, sought a timeline for publication and asked for briefings on findings emerging from the National Academies Workshop on reusable healthcare textiles.
While the CDC stopped short of providing a publication date, the agency indicated that an updated release timeline will be provided once the clearance process is finalized. As Congress continues to monitor the report’s status, TRSA members can point to the CDC response as evidence that sustained advocacy on Capitol Hill is helping keep reusable healthcare textiles front and center in the national conversation about healthcare resilience, sustainability and supply-chain security.
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