Bill Text: NY S04071 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides for the sanitization of every used matress or bedding material transported, stored or sold in the state.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO CODES [S04071 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S04071-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4071
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     April 9, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  MONSERRATE  -- 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  articles  of
         bedding
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 383 of the general business
    2  law, as added by chapter 309 of the laws of 1996, are amended to read as
    3  follows:
    4    2. "New" shall mean any material or article which has not been  previ-
    5  ously  used for any purpose, including by-products produced in the manu-
    6  facture of new fabric, and material reclaimed from new  fabric[;  except
    7  that  an  article  of  bedding  returned  by the purchaser for exchange,
    8  alteration, or correction, within thirty days  after  date  of  delivery
    9  after  original sale at retail, shall be deemed to be a new article, but
   10  thirty days after date of such delivery such article shall be deemed  to
   11  be used];
   12    3.  "Used"  shall  mean  any  components,  ARTICLES  OR MATERIALS from
   13  [previously used] bedding NOT CLASSIFIED AS NEW.
   14    S 2. Subdivision 1 of section 385 of  the  general  business  law,  as
   15  amended  by  chapter  249  of  the  laws  of 1999, is amended to read as
   16  follows:
   17    1. Every manufacturer of used bedding sold in this state  and  repair-
   18  er-renovator  or  rebuilder  of  bedding sold in this state shall file a
   19  notice with the department of state  which:  (a)  states  its  name  and
   20  address; [and] (b) affirms that it sanitizes its used bedding in accord-
   21  ance  with  the standards established in regulation by the department of
   22  state in consultation with the department of health; AND  (C)  DESCRIBES
   23  THE MANNER OF SANITIZATION AND CHEMICALS USED.
   24    S 3. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 385-b
   25  to read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10902-01-9
       S. 4071                             2
    1    S 385-B.  TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND SALE OF USED BEDDING. NO USED BEDDING
    2  SHALL  BE  TRANSPORTED,  STORED OR SOLD WITH NEW BEDDING UNLESS THE USED
    3  BEDDING HAS BEEN SANITIZED USING A METHOD APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT  OF
    4  HEALTH  THAT  IS  INTENDED  TO  KILL BEDBUGS, DUST MITES, OTHER INSECTS,
    5  MOLDS,  FUNGI,  GERMS  OR OTHER ORGANISMS, AND TO REMOVE SOIL, DUST MITE
    6  AND INSECT FECES, ALLERGENS, AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS.
    7    S 4. Section 387 of the general business law, as  amended  by  chapter
    8  249 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
    9    S  387.  Inspections.  Every place where articles of bedding are made,
   10  remade or renovated, or materials therefor are prepared  or  sterilized,
   11  or where such articles or materials are sold, shall be subject to BI-AN-
   12  NUAL  inspection  by  the  secretary  of  state  who shall have power to
   13  inspect the manufacture, sale or delivery, and sanitization of all arti-
   14  cles or materials covered by this  article,  to  open  and  examine  the
   15  contents thereof and power to seize and hold for evidence any article of
   16  bedding,  in whole or in part, which the secretary has reason to believe
   17  is made or sold or held in possession in violation of this article.  For
   18  the  purpose of administering and enforcing the provisions of this arti-
   19  cle the secretary shall have and may use the powers conferred on him  by
   20  the executive law in addition to the powers conferred in this article.
   21    S  5. Section 389-a of the general business law, as amended by chapter
   22  249 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
   23    S 389-a. Label requirements for used  bedding.  The  label  indicating
   24  that  an article of bedding contains used material, in whole or in part,
   25  shall be at least fifteen square inches  in  area,  contain  the  phrase
   26  ["used  material"  or "used bedding", as the case may be,] "THIS BEDDING
   27  CONTAINS PREVIOUSLY USED MATERIALS WHICH HAVE BEEN SANITIZED" in  promi-
   28  nent  print,  be  yellow in color, and be stitched or otherwise securely
   29  attached to the bedding in such a manner that it may be seen by  consum-
   30  ers prior to purchase.
   31    S  6.  Section  389-c of the general business law, as added by chapter
   32  309 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
   33    S 389-c. Special application of section three  hundred  forty-nine  of
   34  this  chapter.  1. In addition to the power set forth in subdivision (b)
   35  of section three hundred forty-nine of this chapter, the attorney gener-
   36  al shall have the power to assess a fine of up to one  thousand  dollars
   37  for  each  violation  of this article; and the defense under subdivision
   38  (d) of section three hundred forty-nine of this  chapter  shall  not  be
   39  available in connection with any violation of this article.
   40    2.  IN  ADDITION  TO THE POWER SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION (B) OF SECTION
   41  THREE HUNDRED FORTY-NINE OF THIS CHAPTER AND  SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS
   42  SECTION,  ANY  PERSON  WHO HAS BEEN SOLD USED BEDDING WHICH HAS NOT BEEN
   43  SANITIZED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE A  CAUSE
   44  OF ACTION FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE PERSON WHO TRANSPORTED, STORED OR SOLD
   45  SUCH  USED  BEDDING  IN  VIOLATION  OF  THIS ARTICLE FOR THE COST OF THE
   46  MATTRESS, THE COST REQUIRED TO SANITIZE THE  MATTRESS  AND  FOR  MEDICAL
   47  EXPENSES RESULTING FROM THE FAILURE TO SANITIZE SUCH USED BEDDING PURSU-
   48  ANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE.
   49    S  7.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
   50  have become a law.
feedback