What's happening
Tyler's Law requires hospitals and coroners to report child deaths or serious injuries from children's products to federal safety officials within seven days.
Why it matters
Aims to close gaps in child safety oversight. by mandating hospitals and medical examiners directly report deaths or serious injuries linked to children’s products, helping federal regulators identify hazardous products more quickly.
Empowers federal investigations and recalls. by ensuring the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) receives timely, detailed reports, which may lead to faster actions to remove unsafe products from the market and inform the public.
Creates legal accountability for healthcare institutions and coroners. by establishing a clear seven-day reporting deadline, potentially reducing underreporting or delays that could allow dangerous products to remain in use.
Targets preventable child harm. by focusing specifically on incidents involving children’s or durable juvenile products, aiming to prevent future tragedies through improved national surveillance and response.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report Child Product Deaths
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 8
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to reporting requirements of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect to any death or serious injury occurring to a child caused by a children's product or a durable juvenile product
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Kimberly Jean-Pierre
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1712
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the county law, in relation to reporting requirements of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect to any death or serious injury occurring to a child caused by a children's product or a durable juvenile product
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 "Tyler's law".
§ 2. Section 2805-l of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. Every general hospital registered under this article shall report within seven days to the United States consumer product safety commission with copies of any report of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect to any death or serious injury occurring to a child determined to be caused by either a children's product or a durable juvenile product as defined under the federal children's product safety and recall effectiveness act of 2008.
§ 3. Section 677 of the county law is amended by adding a new subdivision 10 to read as follows:
10. The coroner, coroner's physician or medical examiner shall promptly, but no later than seven days from the date of death, provide the United States consumer product safety commission with copies of any autopsy report or any report of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect to any death occurring to a child determined to be caused by either a children's product or a durable juvenile product as defined under the federal children's product safety and recall effectiveness act of 2008.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06855-01-9
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 and the county law, in relation to reporting requirements of any examination or inquiry prepared with respect to any death or serious injury occurring to a child caused by a children's product or a durable juvenile product
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to Establish "Tyler's Law" in order to increase reporting of unsafe and faulty children's consumer products and decrease unintended juvenile death and injury.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. establishes "Tyler's law".
Section 2. amends Section 2805-1 of the public health law by adding a new subdivision 8 requiring that hospitals report within seven days to the Consumer Product Safety Commission any death or serious injury caused to a child by a children's product or durable juvenile product to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Section 3. amends Section 677 of the county law by adding a new subdivi- sion 10 requiring that coroners, coroner's physicians or medical examin- ers provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission with a copy of an autopsy report or examination report in respect to the death of a child, determined to be caused by a children's product or durable juvenile product, within seven days from the date of death.
Section 4. is the enacting clause.
Justification
In 1997, Tyler Witte, an infant from Merrick New York died due to asphyxiation as a result of a faulty crib. Following his death, his parents became aware of similar infant deaths and injuries suffered due to the same crib that had not been reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which has jurisdiction to recall consumer products used in and around the home. Currently, CPSC relies on report- ing from consumers or manufacturers, but it is inconceivable that a parent should be responsible for reporting an unsafe product while grieving the loss of a child.
This legislation will increase reporting of unsafe consumer products by requiring coroners and hospitals to report the death of a child deter- mined to be caused by either a children's product or durable juvenile product to the CPSC, and hospitals to report the serious injury of a child determined to be caused by these products. It is designed to enhance the protections afforded to children under The Children's Prod- uct Safety Act of 2008, and ultimately, keep our most vulnerable chil- dren safe from harm.
This legislation shall be referred to as Tyler's Law.
Fiscal implications
Undetermined
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.