Senate Bill S6970B

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6970

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, in relation
to prohibiting smoking within 100 feet of the entrances or exits of
any public or private library

 PURPOSE :

To prohibit smoking within one hundred feet of entrances or exits of
any public or private library.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends Section 1399-0 of the public health law by adding a
new subdivision 5 to read as follows:

5. Smoking shall not be permitted and no person shall smoke within one
hundred feet of the entrances, exits or outdoor areas of any public or
private library; provided, however, that the provisions, of this
subdivision shall not apply to smoking in a residence, or within the
real property boundary lines of such residential real property. The
provisions section thirteen hundred ninety-nine-p of this article
shall not apply to this subdivision.

Section 2 sets the effective date

              

 JUSTIFICATION :

This bill seeks to expand protections to the public health created by
chapter 449 of the laws of 2012 which prohibited smoking within 100
feet of any entrance or exit of public or private elementary, or
secondary schools. This bill would expand these protections by placing
the same ban on all private and public libraries.

The Clean Indoor Air Act, enacted in 2003, banned smoking in all
workplaces across the State. Since 2003, smokers have been forced to
smoke outside and it has been unfortunate to see many smokers
consistently light up within close proximity to the entrances or exits
of buildings, including libraries. This bill would prohibit
individuals from smoking outside the entrances and exits of all public
and private libraries. This bill seeks to move smokers away from the
doorways of libraries, in order to protect all visitors who wish to
enter and exit these institutions from unwanted exposure to secondhand
smoke. Libraries are a place where children and others are encouraged
to visit often, and as such smoking shouldn't occur within 100 feet of
the entrances or exits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
secondhand smoke exposure causes acute lower respiratory infections
such as bronchitis and pneumonia in young children, who visit and
benefit greatly from libraries. Along with respiratory symptoms such
as coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness among school-aged children
and young adults, even brief secondhand smoke exposure can damage
cells in ways that set the cancer process in motion. This legislation
will add to the growing number of places young children and all New
Yorkers can enjoy without being exposed to second hand smoke.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

This is a new bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6970A

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, in relation
to prohibiting smoking within 100 feet of the entrances or exits of
any public library

 PURPOSE :

To prohibit smoking within one hundred feet of entrances or exits of
any public library.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends Section 1399-0 of the public health law by adding a
new subdivision 5 to read as follows:

5. Smoking shall not be permitted and no person shall smoke within one
hundred feet of the entrance, exits or outdoor areas of any public
library as defined in subdivision two of section two hundred
fifty-three of the education law; provided, however, that the
provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to smoking in a
residence or within the real property boundary lines of such
residential real property. The provisions of section thirteen hundred
ninety-nine-p of this article shall not apply to this subdivision.

Section 2 sets the effective date
              

 JUSTIFICATION :

This bill seeks to expand protections to the public health created by
chapter 449 of the laws of 2012 which prohibited smoking within 100
feet of any entrance or exit of public or private elementary, or
secondary schools. This bill would expand these protections by placing
the same ban on all public libraries.

The Clean Indoor Air Act, enacted in 2003, banned smoking in all
workplaces across the State. Since 2003, smokers have been forced to
smoke outside and it has been unfortunate to see many smokers
consistently light up within close proximity to the entrances or exits
of buildings, including libraries. This bill would prohibit
individuals from smoking outside the entrances and exits of all public
libraries. This bill seeks to move smokers away from the doorways of
libraries, in order to protect all visitors who wish to enter and exit
these institutions from unwanted exposure to secondhand smoke.
Libraries are a place where children and others are encouraged to
visit often, and as such smoking shouldn't occur within 100 feet of
the entrances or exits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
secondhand smoke exposure causes acute lower respiratory infections
such as bronchitis and pneumonia in young children, who visit and
benefit greatly from libraries. Along with respiratory symptoms such
as coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness among school-aged children
and young adults, even brief secondhand smoke exposure can damage
cells in ways that set the cancer process in motion. This legislation
will add to the growing number of places young children and all New
Yorkers can enjoy without being exposed to second hand smoke.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

This is a new bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.