Senate Bill S6468A

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6468A

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to child
proofing liquid detergent packets

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To prevent accidental poisonings and injuries by establishing child
safety standards for liquid detergent packets.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

This bill amends the general business law to add a new section
399-ggg.

Subdivision 1 defines "liquid detergent packets" to mean a consumer
product that consists of a liquid or gel detergent enclosed in a water
soluble outer layer, "non-see through" to mean that none of the
contents of the package shall be visible unless the package is open,
and "non-permeable" to mean a solid package that cannot be permeated
by water or gases.

Subdivision 2 requires liquid detergent packets to be sold in solid,
non-see through, non-permeable, and child-resistant packaging which is
              

designed to prevent accidental exposure to liquid detergent.

Subdivision 3 provides that any liquid detergent packets sold or
offered for sale must be designed in a uniform color.

Subdivision 4 requires that each liquid detergent packet be enclosed
in a separate, individual, non-permeable wrapper containing a warning
stating, "WARNING: HARMFUL IF PUT IN MOUTH OR SWALLOWED. EYE IRRITANT.
Keep out of reach of children."

Subdivision 5 requires every container of liquid detergent packets to
contain a readable and conspicuously placed warning label stating that
the products are harmful if swallowed or exposed to the eyes or skin
and directing consumers to keep the packets out of reach and sight of
children and contact a physician or poison control center immediately
in case of exposure.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Over the past few years, there has been a rapid increase in accidental
poisonings from liquid detergent packets. The high concentration of
chemicals makes these products especially hazardous to small children,
who may be attracted to their bright colors or mistake them for candy.
From 2013-2015, there were over 49,000 reported cases of young
children ingesting or inhaling the contents of liquid detergent pods.
These incidents have had severe consequences, including seizures,
cardiac and respiratory arrest, vomiting blood, pulmonary edema,
gastric burns, coma, and even death.

In addition to small children, liquid detergent pods pose a risk to
the elderly and disabled and endanger household pets. There have been
several fatal accidents involving patients with dementia accidentally
ingesting the contents of detergent packets, and each year the ASPCA
Animal Poison Control Center receives numerous reports of severe
injury and death resulting from animals eating the pods.

It is critical that we take precautions to reduce exposure to these
toxic products and prevent life-threatening accidents. Current
industry recommendations for laundry pods include warning labels and
childproof containers, but these standards are not mandatory for
manufacturers. This legislation will bring the regulation of detergent
packets in line with other hazardous household products by requiring
child-resistant packaging and clear warning labels informing consumers
of the dangers of exposure. Additionally, the bill will require
manufacturers to enclose each packet in an individual wrapper and
change the design of laundry pods to make them less appealing to
children. These common sense safety measures will ensure these
potentially lethal products are not easily accessible to those most
vulnerable.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
One year after it shall have become law.