What's happening
This bill imposes a temporary ban on glyphosate in New York and creates a task force to study its safety and alternatives.
Why it matters
Imposes a broad temporary ban on glyphosate products, affecting not only commercial agriculture but also consumer lawn care and landscaping, which could impact routine weed management practices statewide.
Creates a task force with diverse representation—including health, agriculture, environmental science, industry, and advocacy groups—ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered in evaluating glyphosate's risks and alternatives.
Mandates a comprehensive review of both health and environmental safety, as well as the economic and practical feasibility of alternatives, which could set precedents for how other chemicals are regulated in New York.
The task force’s findings and recommendations, due before the ban automatically expires, may shape future state policy, legislation, and industry practices regarding pesticide use and public health protections.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Pause Glyphosate Use Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
127
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to instituting a moratorium on the distribution, sale or use of glyphosate until a task force completes a study regarding the safety, alternatives and use of such compound
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new section 37-0115 to read as follows: § 37-0115. Prohibition against use of glyphosate.
1. No person, firm, partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation shall distribute, sell, offer for sale or use glyphosate or any products containing glyphosate within New York state until July first, two thousand twenty-two.
2. For the purpose of this section, "glyphosate" shall mean a synthetic compound that is a non-selective systemic herbicide, also known as N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine with a chemical formula of C3H8NO5P.
3. There shall be established within the department a glyphosate task force which shall consist of the following members:
(a) The commissioner of the department, or the commissioner's designee.
(b) The commissioner of the department of health, or such commissioner's designee.
(c) The commissioner of the department of agriculture and markets, or such commissioner's designee.
(d) A representative from the state university of New York's college of environmental science and forestry, appointed by the governor.
(e) A representative from the New York farm bureau, appointed by the governor.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05603-01-7
S. 127 2
(f) A representative from the pesticide industry, appointed by the governor.
(g) A representative from an environmental organization, appointed by the governor.
4. The task force shall:
(a) Research and identify any health and safety concerns associated with the use of glyphosate.
(b) Identify safe alternatives to glyphosate.
(c) Determine whether the use of glyphosate should be permitted in the state.
(d) If the use of glyphosate should be permitted, identify recommended safe practices associated with the use of glyphosate.
5. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, except members shall be allowed their necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties under this section.
6. The members of the task force shall submit a report of their findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the governor and legislature no later than January first, two thousand twenty-two.
7. The glyphosate task force shall cease to exist on June thirtieth, two thousand twenty-two.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to instituting a moratorium on the distribution, sale or use of glyphosate until a task force completes a study regarding the safety, alternatives and use of such compound
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to place a moratorium on the distribution, sale, or use of glyphosate or products containing glyphosate in the state of New York until July 1st, 2022, and establish a task force within the Department of Environmental Conservation to research and identify the safety risks associated with glyphosate and determine whether it is safe for use.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill adds a new section 37-0115 to the environmental conservation law to provide that no person, firm, partnership, association, LLC, or corporation shall distribute, sell, offer for sale, or use glyphosate or products containing glyphosate within New York state until July first, two thousand twenty. It also provides for the establishment, makeup, and duties of a task force within the Department of Environmental Conservation to study glyphosate's effects and make recommendations.
Section 2 of the bill provides the effective date.
Justification
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world and is found in over 750 different products. It is primarily used in agriculture for crops such as corn and soybeans but is also sprayed in forests, on roads and in gardens to prevent the growth of weeds. Glyphosate is the main ingredient in the popular Monsanto weed-killer "Roundup," which is currently sold in stores throughout New York State.
In March 2015, it was deemed "probably carcinogenic to humans" by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC's analysis drew on studies conducted in the United States, Canada and Sweden since 2001 and was based on epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies.
Glyphosate has been detected in the blood and urine of agricultural workers, indicating it can be absorbed through the body, and has also been shown to damage DNA and chromosomes in human cells, which can lead to cancer. Furthermore, a number of studies have found glyphosate induces a positive trend of tumors in mice and rats.
Glyphosate is also said to be responsible for the precipitous demise of the population of Danaus plexippus, or the Monarch butterfly. Earlier this year, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency in U.S. District Court in New York claiming the agency has failed to heed warnings about the dangers to monarchs posed by glyphosate.
The lawsuit states that a key reason for the decline of monarchs is the application of glyphosate to farm fields, resulting in the destruction of the milkweed habitat that migrating monarchs rely on. The monarch population was tallied at 1 billion in 1997 and this winter was down to 56.5 million butterflies, the second-lowest number ever measured.
Given the mounting evidence to link exposure to glyphosate with cancer, and the detrimental effect of glyphosate on the monarch butterfly population, it is prudent to halt its use until we are able to further study its potential for harm. The goal of this legislation is to direct a panel of experts to study glyphosate's effects and protect the public health of New Yorkers in the meantime.
Prior legislative history
S.5472-A of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Environmental Conservation
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.