What's happening
This bill requires that pesticide warning signs and notices be printed in both English and Spanish in areas with many Spanish-speaking residents.
Why it matters
Improves health and safety access. By requiring pesticide warnings, notices, and educational materials to be available in Spanish in areas with many Spanish-speaking residents, the bill helps ensure that non-English speakers receive crucial information about pesticide risks and safe practices, protecting families and communities from accidental exposure.
Addresses environmental justice. Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities often face higher rates of environmental hazards. This bill targets a communication gap that can disproportionately impact these populations, helping to reduce inequities in public health protections.
Promotes regulatory clarity and accountability. The responsibility falls on the commissioner to define what constitutes a "significant number" of Spanish-speaking residents and to set clear rules. This creates a standardized process and prevents arbitrary or inconsistent application of the law across different regions.
Supports informed consumer choice. By providing bilingual educational materials and signage, the bill empowers more residents to understand the products they are buying or exposed to, enabling them to make safer choices for their homes, families, and the environment.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lawn Pesticide Notices in Spanish
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4936
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to requiring certain signs and notices relating to pesticides for commercial or residential lawn application to be printed in the Spanish language in areas with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 33-1004 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 285 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
a. All retail establishments that sell general use pesticides for commercial or residential lawn application shall display a sign meeting standards, established by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision one of section 33-1005 of this article, in a conspicuous place, and such sign shall be placed as close as possible to the place where such pesticides are displayed. Such standards of the commissioner shall provide that in areas of the state with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents, the signs required by this paragraph shall be printed in both the English and Spanish languages. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a significant number of Spanish speaking residents.
§ 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 33-1004 of the environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 324 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
(i) At least forty-eight hours prior to any commercial lawn application of a pesticide, the person or business making such application shall supply written notice, as defined in subdivision three of section 33-1005 of this article to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08783-01-7
A. 4936 2
A. occupants of all dwellings, as defined in paragraph d of subdivision five of section 33-0905 of this article, on abutting property with a boundary that is within one hundred fifty feet of the site of such application; and to owners, owners' agents, or other persons in a position of authority for all other types of premises, as defined in paragraph d of subdivision five of section 33-0905 of this article, that are on abutting property with a boundary that is within one hundred fifty feet of the site of such application. The written notice required by this paragraph shall be printed in both the English and Spanish languages in areas of the state with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a significant number of Spanish speaking residents. Owners or owners' agents of multiple family dwellings shall supply such written notice to the occupants of such multiple family dwellings and for all other types of premises, owners, owners' agents or other persons in a position of authority shall post such written notice in a manner specified by the commissioner; and
B. owners, owners' agents or other persons in positions of authority for multiple family dwellings, the property of which is the site of such application. Owners, or owners' agents of multiple family dwellings shall supply such written notice to the occupants of such multiple family dwellings in a manner specified by the commissioner.
§ 3. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph c of subdivision 1 of section 33-1004 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 285 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
(i) All persons performing residential lawn applications treating an area more than one hundred square feet shall affix markers to be placed within or along the perimeter of the area where pesticides will be applied. Markers are to be placed so as to be clearly visible to persons immediately outside the perimeter of such property. Such markers shall be posted at least twelve inches above the ground and shall be at least four inches by five inches in size. Furthermore, such markers shall be printed in both the English and Spanish languages in areas of the state with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a significant number of Spanish speaking residents.
§ 4. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 33-1005 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 285 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing uniform standards for a consumer pesticide use information sign which shall be placed in retail establishments that sell general use pesticides for commercial or residential lawn application. Such uniform standards shall require that signs in areas of the state with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents be printed in both the English and Spanish languages. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a significant number of Spanish speaking residents. This sign shall contain the following information:
§ 5. Subdivision 2 of section 33-1005 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 285 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
2. The commissioner shall prepare and publish, in consultation with the commissioner of health, educational materials, in both the English and Spanish languages, explaining the requirements of paragraphs b and c of subdivision one of section 33-1004 of this article and section three
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hundred ninety-c of the social services law and the human and environmental health effects of lawn care pesticides.
§ 6. Subdivision 3 of section 33-1005 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 285 of the laws of 2000, is amended by adding a new paragraph c to read as follows:
c. The written notice required by paragraph b of subdivision one of section 33-1004 of this article shall, in areas of the state with a significant number of Spanish speaking residents, be printed in both the English and Spanish languages. The commissioner shall establish rules and regulations regarding what constitutes a significant number of Spanish speaking residents.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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