Senate Bill S8036

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8036

SPONSOR: KAPLAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to labeling of
ingredients of diapers

 
PURPOSE:

This bill requires labeling of ingredients on packages or boxes of
diapers.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one amends the general business law by adding a new section
399-aaaa

Section two sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:
              

Babies and toddlers wear diapers around the clock. A typical child will
wear thousands of diapers during their lifetime. Unless cloth or organic
diapers are used, however, consumers have no idea what chemicals are
present in disposable diapers because product packaging is not required
to contain ingredient labeling.

A new line of research suggests that the chemical composition of certain
diapers could pose serious, long term risks to infant health and their
developing bodies. One report published in the medical journal, Repro-
ductive Toxicology, suggests that the concentration of volatile organic
compounds (including methylene chloride, toluene and xylene) in commonly
used disposable diapers could be significantly higher than the concen-
tration found in common commercial plastic products. Unlike plastic
products like sippy cups, disposable diapers are in direct and constant
contact with infant and toddler external genitalia and mucus membranes.

Consumers have a right to know whether the products they put on their
children's bodies are safe. Requiring product ingredient labeling will
provide consumers with information that is vital to their purchasing
decisions, and potentially their children's health.

This legislation requires that every package or box containing diapers
sold in New York State contain a clear list of all ingredients, with
diaper components listed out by percentage. The legislation establishes
a civil penalty of one thousand dollars per package or box to be imposed
on the manufacturer, for each package or box sold without a label. This
legislation is intended to safeguard the health and wellness of newborns
and toddlers statewide, against the risks of prolonged exposure to vola-
tile chemicals.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: A.6561- Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.