What's happening
This bill requires sellers and installers of commercial sod in New York to provide purchasers with detailed information about all pesticides used on the sod.
Why it matters
Enhances transparency for buyers. By requiring detailed disclosure of all pesticides used on commercial sod, purchasers—including homeowners, businesses, and public agencies—can make more informed choices based on health, environmental, or personal preferences.
Improves public health and safety. With mandatory information on pesticide names, toxicity categories, and relevant warnings, consumers and installers gain crucial data to better manage potential risks to children, pets, and sensitive individuals.
Supports environmental awareness and compliance. The bill aligns sod sales with environmental protection standards, potentially driving more responsible pesticide use in the turf industry and encouraging growers to consider safer alternatives.
Creates accountability and legal consequences. Sellers, growers, and installers face penalties for failure to provide required pesticide information, incentivizing compliance and fostering greater responsibility throughout the commercial sod supply chain.
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Who cares
Commercial sod growers
They would have to give purchasers information on all pesticides applied to their sod or its growing soil, including product and chemical names, toxicity categories and specified warnings.
Sod retailers and installers
They would have to pass growers’ pesticide information to customers on a department-approved form or face penalties for failing to provide it.
Homeowners and other sod purchasers
They would receive pesticide information, including label warnings about human and animal contact and relevant environmental hazards.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
It would approve the disclosure form, which must be consistent with Department of Environmental Conservation pesticide use requirements.
Headline styles
Disclose Sod Pesticide Use
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5656
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to establishing commercial sod products pesticide information requirements
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new article 11-B to read as follows:
ARTICLE 11-B
COMMERCIAL SOD PRODUCTS PESTICIDE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS Section 151-p. Definitions.
151-q. Purpose.
151-r. Commercial sod products pesticide information require-
ments.
151-s. Penalties.
§ 151-p. Definitions. For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:
1. "Commercial sod products" shall mean surface earth containing grass and its matted roots, otherwise called turf, which is offered for wholesale or retail sale.
2. "Pesticides" shall have the same meaning as is ascribed to such term by subdivision thirty-five of section 33-0101 of the environmental conservation law.
§ 151-q. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to ensure that purchasers of commercial sod products receive information regarding pesticides which have been applied to such products.
§ 151-r. Commercial sod products pesticide information requirements. 1. Every person who grows commercial sod products shall be required to provide information on all pesticides which were applied to the soil in which commercial sod products were grown or which were applied to the commercial sod products directly, to all purchasers of such products.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09628-01-9
A. 5656 2
2. Every person who sells commercial sod products or who installs commercial sod products shall be required to provide information on all pesticides which were applied to the soil in which commercial sod products were grown or which were applied to the commercial sod products directly, as provided by the grower on a form approved by the department which is consistent with the pesticide use requirements of the department of environmental conservation, to all purchasers of such products or services.
3. The information required to be provided pursuant to this section shall include the following:
a. the pesticide product name and the chemical name of each pesticide product applied;
b. the toxicity category of each pesticide product applied; and
c. any label warnings relating to contact by humans and animals, and any list of relevant environmental hazard warnings for each pesticide.
§ 151-s. Penalties. Any person who fails to provide the information required in this article shall be subject to the penalties contained in section thirty-nine of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.