Bill Text: NY S03497 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Prohibits the sale or purchase of certain items as scrap; street signs, funeral markers, government entity, utility, cemetery or railroad items; preempts local laws.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2012-05-21 - referred to economic development [S03497 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S03497-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 3497 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E February 23, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting the sale or purchase of certain items as scrap THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 69-e of the general business law, as added by chap- 2 ter 431 of the laws of 1976, is amended to read as follows: 3 S 69-e. Definitions. 1. "Scrap metal processing facility" shall mean 4 an establishment engaged primarily in the purchase, processing and ship- 5 ment of ferrous and/or non-ferrous scrap, the end product of which is 6 the production of raw material for remelting purposes for steel mills, 7 [foundaries] FOUNDRIES, smelters, refiners, and similar users. 8 2. "Scrap processor" shall mean any person, association, partnership 9 or corporation operating and maintaining a "scrap metal processing 10 facility". 11 3. "GOVERNMENT ISSUED IDENTIFICATION" MEANS ANY CURRENT AND VALID 12 OFFICIAL FORM OF IDENTIFICATION ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED 13 STATES OF AMERICA, A STATE, TERRITORY, PROTECTORATE, OR DEPENDENCY OF 14 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A COUNTY, MUNICIPALITY OR SUBDIVISION 15 THEREOF, ANY PUBLIC AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT THEREOF, OR ANY PUBLIC EMPLOY- 16 ER, WHICH REQUIRES AND BEARS THE SIGNATURE AND PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PERSON 17 TO WHOM IT IS ISSUED. 18 S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 69-g of the general business law, as 19 amended by chapter 302 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 1. Such scrap processor shall record [(i) each purchase of any pig or 22 pigs of metal, bronze or brass castings or parts thereof, sprues or 23 gates or parts thereof, utility wire or brass car journals, or of metal 24 beer kegs, and (ii)] each purchase of [iron, steel] FERROUS and/or 25 nonferrous scrap [for a price of fifty dollars or more,] and preserve EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09055-02-1 S. 3497 2 1 such record for a period of three years; which record shall show the 2 date of purchase, name of seller, [his] THE SELLER'S residence OR BUSI- 3 NESS address [by street, number, city, village or town, the driver's 4 license number or information from a government issued photographic 5 identification card, if any, of such person, or by such description as 6 will reasonably locate the seller,] AND the type and quantity of such 7 purchase[; and the]. THE scrap processor shall cause such record to be 8 signed by the seller or his agent. It shall be unlawful for any seller 9 to refuse to furnish such information or to furnish incorrect or incom- 10 plete information. Such scrap processor shall also make and retain a 11 copy of the government issued photographic identification card used to 12 verify the identity of [the] ANY NATURAL person from whom the scrap 13 metal was purchased and shall retain this copy in a separate book, 14 register or electronic archive for [two] THREE years from the date of 15 purchase. 16 S 3. Section 69-h of the general business law is renumbered section 17 69-i and two new sections 69-h and 69-j are added to read as follows: 18 S 69-H. PROHIBITION ON SALE OF CERTAIN ITEMS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY 19 PROVISION OF LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, IT SHALL BE UNLAW- 20 FUL TO SELL, OFFER FOR SALE, OR PURCHASE AS SCRAP, ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 21 STREET SIGNS, PROPANE CONTAINERS FOR FUELING FORKLIFTS, FUNERAL MARKERS, 22 OR ANY METAL ITEMS BEARING MARKINGS OF ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, UTILITY 23 COMPANY, CEMETERY OR RAILROAD UNLESS SUCH ITEMS ARE OFFERED FOR SALE BY 24 A DULY AUTHORIZED EMPLOYEE OR AGENT OF ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, UTILITY 25 COMPANY, CEMETERY OR RAILROAD. 26 S 69-J. PREEMPTION OF LOCAL LAWS. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL 27 APPLY TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES, INCLUDING CITIES WITH A POPULATION OF ONE 28 MILLION OR MORE, AND SHALL SUPERSEDE ANY LOCAL LAW, RULE, REGULATION, OR 29 ORDINANCE THAT DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH THE REGULATION OR LICENSING OF 30 SCRAP PROCESSORS AS SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE. NOTHING CONTAINED IN 31 LOCAL LAW NUMBER FIFTY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK FOR THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND 32 SEVEN SHALL BE DEEMED TO DIRECTLY CONFLICT WITH THE REGULATION OR 33 LICENSING OF SCRAP PROCESSORS AS SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE. 34 S 4. Section 69-i of the general business law, as added by chapter 431 35 of the laws of 1976 and as renumbered by section three of this act, is 36 amended to read as follows: 37 S 69-i. Penalty. 1. [Each] A FIRST violation of this article [by a 38 scrap processor] shall be a violation subject to a fine of not more than 39 two [hundred] THOUSAND dollars[, unless such violation shall be wilful, 40 in which event it shall be a misdemeanor except, however, the scrap 41 processor shall not be liable for any violation of this article by a 42 seller, his agent, or a purported seller or agent.] AND/OR IMPRISONMENT 43 FOR A TERM OF NOT MORE THAN FIFTEEN DAYS. A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT 44 VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE A MISDEMEANOR SUBJECT TO A FINE OF 45 NOT MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND/OR IMPRISONMENT FOR A TERM OF 46 NOT MORE THAN ONE YEAR. 47 2. [Each violation of this article by a seller or his agent shall be a 48 misdemeanor.] IN ADDITION TO A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT, WHERE A PERSON HAS 49 GAINED MONEY OR PROPERTY THROUGH A VIOLATION OF THIS ARTICLE THE COURT, 50 UPON CONVICTION THEREOF, IN LIEU OF IMPOSING THE FINE AUTHORIZED FOR THE 51 OFFENSE UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION MAY SENTENCE THE DEFENDANT 52 TO PAY AN AMOUNT, FIXED BY THE COURT, NOT EXCEEDING DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF 53 THE DEFENDANT'S GAIN FROM THE COMMISSION OF THE OFFENSE. 54 S 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day 55 after it shall have become a law.