What's happening
This bill requires New York's Department of Environmental Conservation to develop and publish best practice recommendations for residential tick prevention and management.
Why it matters
Provides homeowners with science-based, practical guidance. on how to reduce tick populations, which can help lower the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in residential areas.
Emphasizes safety for people, pets, and the environment. by focusing on landscaping techniques, rodent control, and the use of biological (fungal pathogens) and chemical methods that are demonstrably safe and effective.
Ensures ongoing accuracy and relevance. by requiring these recommendations to be reviewed and updated annually, so homeowners always have access to the latest best practices as new research emerges.
Increases public awareness and accessibility. by mandating that the Department of Environmental Conservation publish this information online, making it easier for residents to find and use trustworthy tick management advice.
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Who cares
Department of Environmental Conservation
The bill would require DEC to develop science-based residential tick management recommendations by May 1, 2020, post them online and review and revise them annually.
New York State’s land grant university and the Cary Institute
DEC would consult these institutions in developing the recommendations.
Residential property owners
They would gain access to guidance on tick prevention through landscaping, rodent deterrence, fungal pathogens and effective active ingredients, including usage information and label warnings.
Headline styles
Create Tick Safety Guidelines
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
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1348
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to require the department of environmental conservation to prepare recommendations for best practices in treating residential properties for tick prevention and management
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of the department of environmental conservation, in consultation with New York state's land grant university and the Cary Institute, shall develop recommendations no later than May 1, 2020 for residential property tick prevention and management. Such science-based recommendations shall include but not be limited to the use of landscape techniques demonstrated to be safe for people, pets and the environment, methods to discourage rodent activity, use of fungal pathogens, and effective active ingredients, as defined in subdivision 1 of section 33-0101 of the environmental conservation law, including usage information and any label warnings or caution statements. The recommendations shall be available on the department's website and shall be reviewed and revised annually to reflect current best practices.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00467-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to require the department of environmental conservation to prepare recommendations for best practices in treating residential prop- erties for tick prevention and management
Purpose
This bill directs the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to develop guidelines for best practices in treating residential properties for tick prevention and management.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Directs the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to develop guidelines, in consultation with Cornell University and the Cary Institute, for best practices in treating residential properties to reduce exposure to ticks. The guidelines shall be reviewed and revised annually with current best practices and available on the Department's website.
Section 2: Establishes the effective date.
Justification
According to the most recent reporting by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), New York State has the third highest number of confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the entire country and according to the NYS Department of Health (DOH), while it started as an issue dominating Long Island and the Hudson Valley, it has quickly migrated to counties across New York.
DOH also notes that since it became reportable in 1986, over 95,000 cases of Lyme have been reported to the Department.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick and is the most common disease carried by ticks. Because Lyme and tick-borne diseases are considered a threat to public health and well-being, the state has begun investigating ways to stop their spread at the source. Unable to fly and having an affinity for shady, moist areas close to the ground, ticks often populate bushes, shrubs, gardens and lawns.
Homeowners need a reliable source of information to turn to when looking for answers on how to best protect their property from ticks. They should be aware of the registered EPA approved pesticides that are recommended for tick prevention and the methods they can incorporate to better protect both people and pets from exposure to ticks on their property.
In order to raise awareness for appropriate and effective methods and to facilitate the delivery of valuable information, this bill directs the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to develop guidelines for best practices in treating residential properties for integrated pest management-the goal ultimately being to rid communities of ticks that contribute to tick-borne infections.
Legislative history
2018: S.9054 Referred to Rules (Similar to S.2588 of 2018 Passed Senate)
Fiscal implications
None.
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.