What's happening
This bill allows emergency public assistance to replace property lost due to uncontrollable bedbug infestations, in addition to existing disasters.
Why it matters
Addresses a growing public health issue. By explicitly including uncontrollable bedbug infestations, the bill recognizes bedbugs as a serious threat that can cause significant property loss, similar to fires or floods. This reflects the increasing prevalence of bedbug problems in urban and low-income housing.
Expands eligibility for emergency aid. People who lose essential items (like furniture or clothing) due to bedbug infestations that cannot be eradicated by professionals will now be able to receive state emergency assistance, filling a gap where such losses were previously not covered.
Emphasizes limits and verification. Assistance is only available when the infestation cannot be controlled despite professional extermination efforts, and losses must be verified by local officials. This ensures that aid targets genuinely uncontrollable cases and helps prevent misuse.
Could impact landlords and tenants. The bill may reduce the financial burden on tenants who lose property to bedbugs, and could indirectly encourage landlords to address infestations more effectively, knowing that emergency aid is available only after all extermination options have failed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Help After Bedbug Damage
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
171
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to emergency assistance for the replacement of property as a result of a bedbug infestation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 131-a of the social services law, as amended by chapter 298 of the laws of 1971, such subdivision as renumbered by chapter 453 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
(a) replacement of necessary furniture and clothing for persons in need of public assistance who have suffered the loss of such items as the result of fire, flood or other like catastrophe or as the result of a bedbug infestation that cannot be controlled through the use of pesticides, treatments, fumigation, or any other method of extermination by an exterminator, provided provisions therefor cannot otherwise be made;
§ 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 303 of the social services law, as amended by chapter 482 of the laws of 1975, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Replacement or repair, as the case may be, of clothing, furniture, food, fuel and shelter; (including repairs to homes owned by aged, blind, and disabled persons and temporary shelter until necessary repairs are completed or replacement shelter is secured), provided such clothing, furniture, food, fuel or shelter was lost or rendered useless as a result of burglary, theft or vandalism, or as a result of fire, flood or other similar catastrophe which could not have been [forseen] foreseen by such person, and was not under his control, or as the result of a bedbug infestation that cannot be controlled through the use of pesticides, treatments, fumigation, or any other method of extermination
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02636-01-7
A. 171 2
by an exterminator. All such losses shall have been reported to and appropriately verified by local officials before such replacement or repair;
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.