S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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5376
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
April 29, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, the environmental conservation
law and the public health law, in relation to the protection of air
quality for day care centers
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds and declares that
it shall be the policy of the state of New York to provide every child
with an environmentally safe and healthy learning environment in which
to grow, learn and mature into productive and healthy adults. To ensure
that day care facilities provide this setting for our children, the
legislature finds that standards for day care facilities must be protec-
tive of children's environmental health and safety. Children are unique-
ly vulnerable to and may be severely affected by exposure to chemicals,
hazardous wastes and other environmental hazards, which affect their
learning abilities as well as create chemical-based responses and sensi-
tivities. It is the purpose of this legislation to reduce as much as
possible such exposures for children and day care facility staff.
§ 2. Section 390-a of the social services law is amended by adding
three new subdivisions 6, 7 and 8 to read as follows:
6. (A) NO LICENSE SHALL BE ISSUED OR RENEWED FOR A CHILD DAY CARE
CENTER AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY OF THIS TITLE, OR A
HEAD START DAY CARE CENTER FUNDED PURSUANT TO TITLE V OF THE FEDERAL
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT OF NINETEEN HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR, AS AMENDED, IF
THE BUILDING OR ITS OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL AREA WOULD BE ADVERSELY
IMPACTED DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO EXISTING AND KNOWN ENVIRONMENTAL
HAZARDS, INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, COMBUSTION FACILITIES, INAC-
TIVE HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES, HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SITES, MUNICIPAL OR
COMMERCIAL LANDFILLS, AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS SUCH AS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05552-01-9
S. 5376 2
RADON, LEAD, CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER TOXIC CONTAMINANTS AS
DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HEALTH.
(B) THE COMMISSIONER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL CONSULT
WITH THE COMMISSIONERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HEALTH PRIOR TO
THE APPROVAL OF ANY NEW SITE FOR A CHILD DAY CARE CENTER OR HEAD START
DAY CARE CENTER TO ENSURE THAT SUCH FACILITY OR ITS OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL
AREA WILL NOT BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO ANY EXISTING
AND KNOWN ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS.
7. (A) NO LICENSE SHALL BE ISSUED TO A NEW CHILD DAY CARE CENTER OR
NEW HEAD START DAY CARE CENTER UNLESS THE BUILDING SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE
FOLLOWING WHERE APPLICABLE: HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS THAT MEET CURRENTLY ACCEPTED INDUSTRY VENTILATION STANDARDS;
PLACEMENT OF AIR INTAKE VENTS SO AS TO MAXIMIZE HEALTHFUL INDOOR AIR
QUALITY; DESIGN PRACTICES THAT MINIMIZE INGRESS OF AND CONDITIONS FAVOR-
ABLE TO PEST POPULATIONS; CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES AND VENTILATION
SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE RADON LEVELS IN INDOOR AIR; AND OTHER
MEASURES NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN HEALTHFUL, SAFE AND COMFORTABLE CONDI-
TIONS THEREIN.
(B) CHILD DAY CARE CENTERS OR HEAD START DAY CARE CENTERS WHICH ARE
LICENSED PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND WHICH DO
NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SHALL
MEET SUCH REQUIREMENTS WITHIN ONE YEAR FROM THE RENEWAL DATE OF THEIR
LICENSE, OTHERWISE SUCH LICENSE SHALL NOT BE RENEWED.
8. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY NEW ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
HAZARD IS IDENTIFIED DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO A CHILD DAY CARE CENTER OR
HEAD START DAY CARE CENTER, THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES
SHALL REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF SUCH
HAZARD ON THE CHILD DAY CARE CENTER OR HEAD START DAY CARE CENTER, AND
IF THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARD IS FOUND TO HAVE
AN IMPACT, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL REQUIRE SUCH FACILITY CREATING
SUCH NEW ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARD TO REMEDIATE THE
HAZARD WITHIN NINETY DAYS WITHOUT ANY ADVERSE ACTION UPON THE LICENSE OR
LICENSE RENEWAL OF THE CHILD DAY CARE CENTER OR HEAD START DAY CARE
CENTER.
§ 3. The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a new
section 3-0320 to read as follows:
§ 3-0320. INFORMATION FOR THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION SIX OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-A OF THE
SOCIAL SERVICES LAW THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ANNUALLY PROVIDE ALL NECESSARY
INFORMATION TO THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES REGARDING
EXISTING AND KNOWN LOCATIONS OF EXISTING AND KNOWN ENVIRONMENTAL
HAZARDS, INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, COMBUSTION FACILITIES, INAC-
TIVE HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES, HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SITES, MUNICIPAL OR
COMMERCIAL LANDFILLS, AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS SUCH AS
RADON, LEAD, CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER TOXIC CONTAMINANTS AS
DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. WHENEVER THE
OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES REQUESTS SUCH INFORMATION FROM
THE DEPARTMENT, SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE PROVIDED WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF
RECEIPT OF SUCH REQUEST.
§ 4. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 201-a to
read as follows:
§ 201-A. INFORMATION FOR THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION SIX OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY-A OF THE
SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ANNUALLY PROVIDE ALL NECESSARY
INFORMATION TO THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES REGARDING
EXISTING AND KNOWN LOCATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS SUCH AS
S. 5376 3
RADON, LEAD, CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER TOXIC CONTAMINANTS.
WHENEVER THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES REQUESTS SUCH INFOR-
MATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT, SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE PROVIDED WITHIN
THIRTY DAYS OF RECEIPT OF SUCH REQUEST.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.