What's happening
This bill requires New York state agencies to purchase and use only environmentally-sensitive cleaning products in state buildings starting April 1, 2020.
Why it matters
Expands the definition of "cleaning products". The bill specifically defines a wide range of cleaning and maintenance products (including air fresheners, degreasers, floor strippers, and more), ensuring that many commonly used items will fall under the environmentally-sensitive purchasing requirement.
Mandates statewide consistency. By requiring all state agencies and authorities to comply, the bill eliminates piecemeal adoption of green cleaning standards, raising the baseline for environmental health in all state-owned and occupied buildings.
Relies on a prescribed product list. The requirement is tied directly to a list of environmentally-sensitive products curated by the Office of General Services, which centralizes authority over what qualifies and may help prevent greenwashing or inconsistent standards.
Potentially impacts procurement, vendors, and building users. The law could shift market demand toward greener products, affecting what vendors offer and potentially driving broader industry change; it may also improve workplace conditions and indoor air quality for employees and visitors.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Green Cleaning Products
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3243
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 5, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to the purchase of green cleaning and other custodial products
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This law shall be known and may be cited as the "greening our cleaning act".
§ 2. Statement of findings and purpose. The legislature finds that there are environmentally preferable alternatives to the products that we commonly use for routine tasks, such as cleaning and maintaining interior building finishes. Such alternatives are most beneficial to those who apply them and those who occupy buildings where such products are used. In addition to the federal government, a number of state and local jurisdictions have taken steps to purchase environmentally preferable or "green" cleaning products.
The legislature finds that the purchase and use of many such environmentally preferable cleaning alternatives will result in improved indoor air quality and enhanced environmental health.
§ 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 169 to read as follows:
§ 169. Green cleaning products. 1. General definitions. As used in this section:
(a) "Air freshener" means any product including, but not limited to, sprays, wicks, powders, blocks, gels and crystals, designed for the purpose of masking odors, or freshening, cleaning, scenting or deodorizing the air. This term shall not include products that are used on the human body, products that function primarily as cleaning products or disinfectant products claiming to deodorize by killing germs on surfaces.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07283-01-9
S. 3243 2
(b) "Bathroom cleaner" means any product used to clean hard surfaces in a bathroom, such as counters, walls, floors, fixtures, basins, tubs and tile. This term may include products that are required to be registered under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, such as disinfectants and sanitizers, but shall not include products specifically intended to clean toilet bowls.
(c) "Carpet cleaner" means any product used for the routine cleaning of carpets and rugs. This term shall include, but not be limited to, products used in cleaning by means of extraction, shampooing, dry foam, bonnet or absorbent compound, but shall not include products intended primarily for spot removal or any products required to be registered under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, such as those making claims as sterilizers, disinfectants or sanitizers.
(d) "Degreaser" means any product designed to remove or dissolve grease, grime, oil and other oil-based contaminants from interior or exterior building surfaces.
(e) "Disinfectant" means any United States environmental protection agency-registered agent that is used to destroy or irreversibly inactivate infectious fungi, viruses and bacteria, but not necessarily their spores.
(f) "Floor finish" means any product designed to polish, protect or enhance floor surfaces by leaving a protective wax, polymer or resin coating that is designed to be periodically removed and reapplied.
(g) "Floor stripper" means any product designed to remove floor finish through breakdown of the finish polymers, or by dissolving or emulsifying the finish, polish or wax. This term shall not include general-purpose cleaners that can be used to clean floors, floor sealers, spray buffing products or products or equipment designed to remove floor wax solely through abrasion.
(h) "General-purpose cleaner" means any product used for routine cleaning of hard surfaces, including impervious flooring, such as concrete or tile. This term shall not include any cleaner intended primarily for the removal of rust, mineral deposits or odors; any product intended primarily to strip, polish or wax floors; any cleaner intended primarily for cleaning toilet bowls, dishes, laundry, glass, carpets, upholstery, wood or polished surfaces; or any product required to be registered under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, such as those making claims as sterilizers, disinfectants or sanitizers.
(i) "Glass cleaner" means any product used to clean windows, glass and polished surfaces. This term shall not include any product required to be registered under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, such as those making claims as sterilizers, disinfectants or sanitizers.
(j) "Metal cleaner" means any product designed primarily to improve, by physical or chemical action, the appearance of finished metal, metallic, or metallized furniture or interior or exterior building surfaces, including, but not limited to fittings and decorative ornamentation. This term shall not include any product designed primarily to remove grease, grime and oil.
(k) "Sanitizer" means any United States environmental protection agency-registered agent that is used to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate microorganisms to levels considered safe by public health codes or regulations.
2. Beginning April first, two thousand twenty, all state agencies and authorities shall purchase and use in state owned and occupied buildings
S. 3243 3
and facilities only air freshener, bathroom cleaner, carpet cleaner, degrease, disinfectant, floor finish, floor stripper, general-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, metal cleaner, and sanitizer that are included on the list of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products as prescribed by the commissioner of the office of general services list pursuant to section one hundred sixty-three-b of this article.
§ 4. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to the purchase of green cleaning and other custodial products
Purpose
To improve the indoor air quality of state owned and occupied buildings to protect the individuals who work and visit from inhaling toxic and harmful chemicals.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 titles the bill the "Greening Our Cleaning Act." Section 2 sets forth a statement of findings and purpose.
Section 3 amends state finance law by adding a new section 169. Para- graph 1 of Section 169 defines Air Freshener, Bathroom Cleaner, Carpet Cleaners, Degreaser, Disinfectant, Floor finish, Floor Stripper, Gener- al-purpose Cleaner, Glass cleaner, metal cleaner, and sanitizer. Para- graph 2 of Section 169 sets forth that beginning April 1, 2017 all state agencies and authorities shall purchase environmentally-sensitive clean- ing products for use in state owned and occupied buildings.
Section 4 this act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
Justification
Exposure to chemicals in closed environments have a harmful effect on health. Everyday state workers and members of the public are exposed to harmful chemicals used in products in state owned and operated buildings and facilities.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency certain ingredients in cleaning products can present hazard concerns to exposed populations." In addition, EPA has found that alkylphenol ethoxylates, a common surfactant ingredient in cleaners, have been shown in laboratory studies to function as an "endocrine disrupter," causing adverse reproductive effects of the types seen in wildlife exposed to polluted waters. The EPA also informs us that volatile organic compounds (VOC) in cleaning products can affect indoor air quality and also contribute to smog formation in outdoor air. According to the American Lung Association ammonia and chlorine are among cleaning solvents and chemical irritants that have been proven asthma triggers.
The state must take steps to ensure that individuals who work inside state office buildings and the members of the public that visit them are not exposed to indoor air pollutants that can harm their health. Indoor air pollutants such as the gases and chemicals released by cleaning products can cause respiratory ailments and trigger already existing ailments such as asthma. This legislation would improve air quality for workers and visitors in state owned and operated buildings and facili- ties.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.5409 Referred to Finance. 2017-18: Senate 3870.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
To take effect on April 1, 2020.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.