Assembly Bill A689

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    689
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, BICHOTTE, GOTTFRIED, SIMON, OTIS --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Health
 
 AN  ACT to direct the department of health to study the potential health
   risks and effects of glyphosate and  its  by-product  aminomethylphos-
   phonic  acid;  and  providing  for  the repeal of such provisions upon
   expiration thereof
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Public  health  study  of  the  use of glyphosate and its
 by-product  aminomethylphosphonic  acid.  1.  Definitions.  a.  For  the
 purpose  of  this  section, "glyphosate" shall mean a synthetic compound
 that  is   a   non-selective   systemic   herbicide,   also   known   as
 N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine with a chemical formula of C3H8NO5P.
   b.  For the purpose of this section "AMPA" shall mean aminomethylphos-
 phonic acid, a synthetic compound that is a metabolite of the  herbicide
 glyphosate with a chemical formula of CH6NO3P.
   2.  The  department  of  health, in cooperation with the department of
 environmental conservation, shall  conduct  a  study  of  the  potential
 health risks and effects of glyphosate and AMPA. Such study shall:
   a.  review  all  available data relating to the potential health risks
 and effects of glyphosate and AMPA;
   b. identify safe alternatives to glyphosate and AMPA;
   c. determine whether the use of glyphosate and AMPA should be  permit-
 ted in the state; and
   d.  if  the  use  of glyphosate and AMPA should be permitted, identify
 recommended safe practices associated with the  use  of  glyphosate  and
 AMPA.
   3. The commissioner of health, or his or her designee, shall:
   a. solicit input from environmental and public health specialists, and
 other stakeholders in an open public process;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00431-01-1

 A. 689                              2
 
   b. examine various routes of exposure and the health and environmental
 impact  of glyphosate and AMPA including, but not limited to, small fill
 particle inhalation, volatility, leaching to groundwater, dermal absorp-
 tion, and persistence in the environment  of  original  and  degradation
 by-products;
   c. prepare a report to the governor and the legislature which includes
 research  and  studies  conducted  on glyphosate and AMPA which were the
 source of the report findings and recommendations  for  appropriate  and
 inappropriate  use  of  glyphosate  and AMPA. Such report shall be filed
 within one year of the effective date of this act,  unless  the  commis-
 sioner of health requests in writing, an extension of time; and
   d.  conduct  an  outreach program to inform local governments, private
 organizations, schools and the public regarding  the  findings  of  such
 report. If necessary, information on safe alternatives to glyphosate and
 AMPA  in settings where these compounds are a potential or actual health
 risk should be disseminated to the public.
   e. All other departments or agencies  of  the  state  or  subdivisions
 thereof, and local governments shall, at the request of the commissioner
 of health, provide expertise, assistance, and data that will enable such
 commissioner to carry out his or her powers and duties.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect immediately; (a) provided, however,
 that this act shall continue in full force and effect for one year  from
 such  effective  date,  or until the department of health reports to the
 governor and the legislature as required by section  one  of  this  act,
 whichever  date is later, when upon such date the provisions of this act
 shall be deemed repealed; and
   (b) provided that the commissioner of health shall notify the legisla-
 tive bill drafting commission upon filing the report required in section
 one of this act in order that the commission may  maintain  an  accurate
 and  timely  effective data base of the official text of the laws of the
 state of New York in  furtherance  of  effectuating  the  provisions  of
 section  44  of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public offi-
 cers law.