What's happening
This bill requires nursing homes, residential care facilities, and adult homes to use and purchase environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products.
Why it matters
Protects vulnerable populations. By requiring environmentally-sensitive cleaning products in nursing homes, residential care facilities, and adult homes, the bill aims to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals for elderly and medically fragile individuals who are more susceptible to health risks from toxins and irritants.
Creates enforceable state standards. The bill mandates the creation of official guidelines and specifications for what counts as “environmentally-sensitive” cleaning products, ensuring a consistent and science-based approach rather than leaving it up to individual facilities.
Promotes transparency and accountability. Facilities must inform their staff of the new product guidelines and follow a standardized list when purchasing cleaning and maintenance supplies. This ensures that all employees are aware of the safer products being used and helps prevent noncompliance.
Encourages market development and oversight. The state will also maintain and share a list of suppliers that offer approved products, helping facilities identify compliant vendors and potentially stimulating greater availability and innovation of environmentally-sensitive cleaning products in the market.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Green Cleaning for Nursing Homes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4889
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 3, 2017
Introduced by Sen. DIAZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes, residential care facilities and adult homes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2808-e to read as follows:
§ 2808-e. Use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes. 1. For the purposes of this section the following terms shall mean:
(a) "Nursing home" means a facility providing therein nursing care to sick, invalid, infirm, disabled or convalescent persons in addition to lodging and board or health-related service, or any combination of the foregoing, and in addition thereto, providing nursing care and healthrelated service, or either of them, to persons who are not occupants of the facility.
(b) "Residential health care facility" means a nursing home or a facility providing health-related service.
(c) "Adult home" means an adult care facility established and operated for the purpose of providing long-term residential care, room, board, housekeeping, personal care, (either directly or indirectly), and supervision to five or more adults unrelated to the operator.
(d) "Senior center" means a facility that provides services to senior citizens on a regular basis, including but not limited to meals, recreation and counseling.
2. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioners of environmental conservation and labor, shall establish and from time to time amend guidelines and specifications for environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products for use in nursing homes, residential
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07179-01-7
S. 4889 2
health care facilities, senior centers and adult homes. For the purpose of developing appropriate criteria for such guidelines and specifications, such commissioners shall review and evaluate existing research regarding environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products, including but not limited to, research and guidance issued by the United States environmental protection agency and the office of the federal environmental executive. In developing such guidelines, the commissioner shall provide public notice and an opportunity to comment. Such guidelines shall be followed by nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes to identify and procure environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products which are available in the form, function and utility generally used by nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes in their facilities.
3. The commissioner shall disseminate to all nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes guidelines and specifications for the purchase and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes for use in their facilities. The commissioner shall also prepare and disseminate to all nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes a sample list of such environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products that meet these guidelines or specifications. The commissioner shall provide assistance and guidance to nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes in carrying out the requirements of this section. Nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes shall follow such guidelines, specifications and sample list when purchasing cleaning and maintenance products for use in their facilities.
4. Nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes shall notify their personnel of the availability of such guidelines, specifications and sample list.
5. On or before June first, two thousand twenty, the department shall issue a report providing an analysis of the impact of such guidelines and specifications on the purchasing, procurement and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products by nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes. Nothing in this section shall preclude nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes from depleting existing cleaning and maintenance supply stores purchased prior to the effective date of this section.
6. The commissioner shall maintain and make available a list of contractors which produce or manufacture or offer for sale environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in the form, function and utility generally used by nursing homes, residential health care facilities, senior centers, and adult homes.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that the commissioner of health is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes, residential care facilities and adult homes
Purpose or general idea of bill
To establish guidelines for the use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes, residential health care facilities, adult homes and senior centers.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends the Public Health Law by adding a new section 2808-E. Defines the following terms: nursing home, residential health care facility, adult home and senior center. Provides that the Commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioners of Environmental Conservation and Labor, shall establish and from time to amend guidelines and specifications for environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products. Requires the Commissioners to review and evaluate existing research regarding environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products, including but not limited to, research and guidance issued by the United States EPA and the office of the Federal Environmental Executive. Requires the Commissioner to disseminate guidelines and specifications for the purchase and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products and to prepare and disseminate a sample list of environmentally-sensitive cleaning products that meet these guidelines or specifications. Requires the Department to issue a report on or before June 1, 2018 providing an analysis of the impact of such guidelines and specifications on the purchasing, procurement and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products. Nothing in this section shall preclude these institutions from depleting existing cleaning and maintenance supply stores purchased prior to the effective date of this section.
Section 2. Effective Date
Existing law
None
Justification
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that exposure to air pollutants while indoors can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Senior citizens, who typically spend substantial portions of the day indoors, are especially vulnerable to chemicals from cleaners, waxes, deodorizers and other maintenance products. Many elderly New Yorkers suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including asthma, emphysema, and allergies. This legislation would address this health concern by establishing guidelines for the use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in nursing homes, residential health care facilities, adult homes and senior centers. These guidelines will mandate a transition to environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance supplies commonly found in the marketplace. The required changes will reduce the possibility of exposure to senior citizens and staff to potentially harmful chemicals found in many cleaning products.
Prior legislative history
2016: S.176A - AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH 2015: S.176 - REFERRED TO HEALTH 2014: S.866A - Amend and Recommit to Environmental Conservation 2013: S.866 - Referred to Environmental Conservation/A.624 - Enacting Clause Stricken 2012: S.125A - Amend and recommit to Environmental Conservation/A.2096-A - Amend and Recommit to Health 2011: S.125 - Notice of Committee Consideration Requested, Committee Discharged Committed to Environmental Conservation/A.2096 - Referred to Health 2009-10: S.5724 - Referred to Health/A.8534 - Referred to Health
Fiscal implications
Undetermined
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that the Commissioner of Health is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take any other measures necessary to implement the provisions of this act on or before its effective date.
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