Prohibits the selling, offering for sale or distribution of any electrical or extension cords with fraudulent seals for the Underwriters' Laboratory

Title of bill

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to the selling, offering for sale or distribution of any electrical or extension cords with a fraudulent seal for the Underwriters' Laboratory

Purpose

Provides that merchants selling defective electrical products sold with fraudulent labeling are subject to fines for the first offense, and stiff fines and mandatory training if the offense is repeated.

Summary of provisions

Section 1: Amends the general business law by adding a new section 349-d. Merchants who sell electrical products with fraudulent Underwriters Laboratory labels (UL) will be subject to a $100 fine and required on-line training session created by Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC). The second offense will result in a $2,500 fine and training to learn the difference between certified cords.

Section 2: Provides for an effective date that shall take effect on the Ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.

Justification

A number of fires have been attributed to extension cords that bore fraudulent UL labels. The potential for loss of life to both consumers and firefighters due to this fraud is unacceptable. This law would not only increase the penalties for selling those cords, it would require all merchants who have done so to become educated on the difference between the real and the fraudulent labels. The real label is quite easy to identify when compared to falsified copies.

Legislative history

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.