What's happening
Brendan's Law requires child day care centers and certain facilities in New York to use cordless or safer window coverings to prevent child injuries.
Why it matters
Addresses a major safety hazard. The bill targets a leading but often overlooked cause of child injury and death—strangulation from window blind cords—by mandating safer window covering designs in environments where children are cared for.
Impacts both new and existing facilities. Not only must new or replacement window coverings be cordless or have inaccessible cords, but even existing coverings must meet strict safety standards (ANSI/WCMA A 100.1-2012), ensuring that older facilities are also brought up to current safety expectations.
Covers a broad range of child care settings. The law applies to child day care centers, agency boarding homes, group homes, and other authorized agencies, significantly expanding protection beyond just traditional daycare centers.
Provides for phased compliance and enforcement. Facilities have two years to comply, and agencies are empowered to enforce compliance by requiring the replacement of non-compliant coverings, ensuring there’s both a realistic transition period and accountability for ongoing safety.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Cordless Blinds in Daycares
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
7 Co-sponsors
4 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to children and families
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Amended on third reading 168b
- Ordered to third reading cal.6
- Substituted by S3186A
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.231
- Rules report cal.231
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Print number 168a
Show 2 earlier actions
- Amend (t) and recommit to children and families
- Referred to children and families
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
168--B Cal. No. 6
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, DINOWITZ, GUNTHER, WEPRIN, BUCHWALD, JAFFEE, FAHY, D'URSO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, COOK, ENGLEBRIGHT, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Families -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT in relation to establishing Brendan's law; and to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring cordless window coverings in child day care centers and certain other facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Brendan's Law".
§ 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 390-m to read as follows:
§ 390-m. Cordless window coverings required. 1. For purposes of this section the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a) "Beaded chain" means a series of small spheres, equally spaced on a cord or connected by metal shafts used to raise and lower a window covering.
(b) "Cord loop" means a curving or doubling of a beaded chain or cord to form a closed loop.
(c) "Cordless window covering" means:
(i) a horizontal blind or cellular shade that has no draw cord and the internal lift cord runs in the slats of the horizontal blind so that the cord is incapable of forming a loop greater than 7.25 inches;
(ii) a Roman shade, roll-up blind, or woven shade that has no draw cord and the lift cord is completely enclosed so that it is not accessible;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00521-06-0
A. 168--B 2
(iii) a vertical blind that has a wand as its operating mechanism and does not contain any beaded chains, corded pulleys, or other cord loop operating mechanisms; and
(iv) a roller shade that does not contain a cord or beaded chain.
(d) "Draw cord" means any form of rope, strap, or string used to raise or lower a window covering.
(e) "Internal lift cord" means a cord that is contained inside the body and rails of the blind or shade.
(f) "Wand" means a rod used to:
(i) rotate a vertical blind; or
(ii) tilt a horizontal blind.
2. Any child day care center as defined in paragraph (c) of subdivision one of section three hundred ninety of this title or any authorized agency as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of this title including any agency boarding home or group home installing new or replacement window coverings shall install cordless window coverings or window coverings with inaccessible operational and inner cords.
3. Any child day care center as defined in paragraph (c) of subdivision one of section three hundred ninety of this title or any authorized agency as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision ten of section three hundred seventy-one of this title including any agency boarding home or group home that has window coverings in place prior to the effective date of this section, shall meet the requirements of ANSI/WCMA A 100.1-2012 or any successor standard thereto, including standards for:
(a) Roman shades, roll-up shades, woven shades, and all window coverings with exposed and unsecured cords;
(b) horizontal blinds, cellular shades, and all window coverings that have draw cords for their operation; and
(c) vertical blinds and other window covering products with loops utilized in their operation.
4. If a person fails to comply with the requirements of subdivision three of this section, the authorized agency may require replacement of existing window coverings with cordless window coverings or window coverings with inaccessible operational and inner cords.
§ 3. This act shall take effect twenty-four months after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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.