S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7487--B
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
October 27, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, BIAGGI, BROUK, HOYLMAN, RAMOS -- read twice
and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
on Rules -- recommitted to the Committee on Agriculture in accordance
with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the public health
law, in relation to food and food product advertising
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby
finds that children are an inherently vulnerable population, and that
marketing unhealthy foods in a targeted and persistent manner to this
group is inconsistent with this state's efforts to curb the disastrous
health outcomes that follow the overconsumption of these products. Such
marketing is inherently misleading, as children often lack the same
ability to resist the rewarding cues presented in unhealthy food market-
ing as adults. This predatory commercial speech has contributed to an
epidemic of obesity and its related co-morbidities, particularly in the
children of black and brown communities. Furthermore, there is a growing
consensus that highly processed food is habit forming, increasing the
danger to public health that can arise from succumbing to misleading
advertising. New York has a strong and substantial interest in protect-
ing our children from negative health consequences. Additionally, the
power of the state is at its greatest when protecting the health and
welfare of its citizens, especially those most vulnerable. Thus, the
legislature finds that unfair and deceptive marketing targeted at chil-
dren can mislead and manipulate children into lifelong habits, and that
such unfair and deceptive advertising should be regulated accordingly.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13338-13-2
S. 7487--B 2
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 202-a of the agriculture and markets
law, as added by chapter 797 of the laws of 1939, is amended and four
new subdivisions 4, 5, 6 and 7 are added to read as follows:
1. [An advertisement concerning a food or food product] ANY REPRESEN-
TATIONS DISSEMINATED IN ANY MANNER OR BY ANY MEANS INCLUDING DIGITALLY,
OR BY STATEMENT, WORD, DESIGN, DEVICE, SOUND OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF,
FOR THE PURPOSE OF INDUCING, OR WHICH ARE LIKELY TO INDUCE, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, THE PURCHASE OF FOOD OR FOOD PRODUCTS shall not be false or
misleading in any [particular] MANNER. IN DETERMINING WHETHER ANY
ADVERTISING CONCERNING A FOOD OR FOOD PRODUCT IS FALSE OR MISLEADING,
FACTORS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
(A) THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ADVERTISING FAILS TO REVEAL FACTS MATERIAL
IN THE LIGHT OF SUCH REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE FOOD OR FOOD
PRODUCT TO WHICH THE ADVERTISING RELATES UNDER THE CONDITIONS PRESCRIBED
IN SAID ADVERTISEMENT, OR UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS AS ARE CUSTOMARY OR
USUAL;
(B) WHETHER THE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADVERTISEMENT TARGETING A
CONSUMER WHO IS REASONABLY UNABLE TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS BECAUSE OF
THEIR AGE, PHYSICAL INFIRMITY, IGNORANCE, ILLITERACY, INABILITY TO
UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF AN AGREEMENT, OR SIMILAR FACTOR USED:
(I) AN UNFAIR ACT, PRACTICE, OR CONDUCT; OR
(II) A DECEPTIVE REPRESENTATION, OMISSION, PRACTICE, OR CONTENT; AND
(C) WHETHER: (I) THE ADVERTISEMENT CAUSES OR IS LIKELY TO CAUSE
SUBSTANTIAL INJURY TO CONSUMERS; (II) THE INJURY IS NOT REASONABLY
AVOIDABLE BY CONSUMERS; AND (III) THE INJURY IS NOT OUTWEIGHED BY COUN-
TERVAILING BENEFITS TO CONSUMERS OR TO COMPETITION.
(D) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND SUBDIVISION FIVE OF THIS
SECTION, A "CONSUMER" IS DEFINED AS A PERSON WHO IS TARGETED BY AND
EXPOSED TO AN ADVERTISEMENT, OR THOSE ACTING ON SUCH A PERSON'S BEHALF.
4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION, A TRUE STATEMENT OF INFORMATION IN BRIEF SUMMARY RELATING TO
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANTIAL CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT IS SUFFICIENT.
UNTRUE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION IN ANY PART OF THE ADVERTISEMENT WILL
NOT BE CORRECTED BY THE INCLUSION IN ANOTHER DISTINCT PART OF THE ADVER-
TISEMENT OF A BRIEF STATEMENT CONTAINING TRUE INFORMATION RELATING TO
THE EFFECTS OF CONSUMPTION.
5. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, FOR A CONSUMER:
(A) AN ACT, PRACTICE, OR CONDUCT IS "UNFAIR" WHERE IT:
(I) CAUSES OR IS LIKELY TO CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL INJURY TO SUCH CONSUM-
ER;
(II) CANNOT BE REASONABLY AVOIDED BY SUCH CONSUMER; AND
(III) IS NOT OUTWEIGHED BY COUNTERVAILING BENEFITS TO SUCH CONSUMER OR
TO COMPETITION.
(B) A REPRESENTATION, OMISSION, OR PRACTICE IS "DECEPTIVE" WHERE:
(I) IT IS LIKELY TO MISLEAD SUCH CONSUMER;
(II) SUCH CONSUMER'S INTERPRETATION OF THE REPRESENTATION, OMISSION,
OR PRACTICE IS CONSIDERED REASONABLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; AND
(III) THE MISLEADING REPRESENTATION, OMISSION, OR PRACTICE IS MATERI-
AL.
6. FOR PURPOSES OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION,
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION SHALL BE GIVEN TO ADVERTISEMENTS DIRECTED AT A
CHILD AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-ONE OF THE SOCIAL
SERVICES LAW. IN DETERMINING WHETHER AN ADVERTISEMENT CONCERNING A FOOD
OR FOOD PRODUCT IS DIRECTED AT A CHILD, FACTORS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT
BE LIMITED TO:
(A) SUBJECT MATTER;
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(B) VISUAL CONTENT;
(C) USE OF ANIMATED CHARACTERS OR CHILD-ORIENTED ACTIVITIES AND INCEN-
TIVES;
(D) MUSIC OR OTHER AUDIO CONTENT;
(E) AGE OF MODELS;
(F) PRESENCE OF CHILD CELEBRITIES OR CELEBRITIES WHO APPEAL TO CHIL-
DREN;
(G) LANGUAGE;
(H) COMPETENT AND RELIABLE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING AUDIENCE
COMPOSITION AND EVIDENCE REGARDING THE INTENDED AUDIENCE;
(I) PHYSICAL LOCATION OF ADVERTISEMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS FREQUENTED BY CHILDREN;
(J) MEDIUM BY WHICH THE ADVERTISEMENT IS COMMUNICATED, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, SOCIAL MEDIA; OR
(K) OTHER SIMILAR FACTORS.
7. (A) WHENEVER THERE SHALL BE A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION, THE ATTOR-
NEY GENERAL, IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, OR A
CITY CORPORATION COUNSEL ON BEHALF OF THE LOCALITY, MAY BRING AN ACTION
IN THE SUPREME COURT OR FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT TO ENJOIN AND RESTRAIN
SUCH VIOLATIONS AND TO OBTAIN RESTITUTION AND DAMAGES.
(B) ANY PERSON, FIRM, CORPORATION OR ASSOCIATION THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED
AS A RESULT OF VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO BRING AN
ACTION FOR RECOVERY OF DAMAGES OR TO ENFORCE THIS SECTION IN THE SUPREME
COURT OR FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT BY SEEKING AN INJUNCTION.
(C) THE COURT MAY AWARD REASONABLE ATTORNEYS' FEES TO A PREVAILING
PLAINTIFF.
§ 3. Subdivision 24 of section 16 of the agriculture and markets law,
as amended by chapter 108 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as
follows:
24. [Co-operate] COOPERATE with local health departments and other
local agencies in preventing the production, manufacture, sale or offer-
ing for sale of fraudulent, deleterious or unwholesome food. THE
DEPARTMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL ANNUALLY
PRODUCE TO THE LEGISLATURE A REPORT DETAILING A DETERMINATION AS TO
WHICH FOODS MAY BE UNWHOLESOME OR DELETERIOUS ACCORDING TO GENERALLY
ACCEPTED NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS. The commissioner may contract with any
such local health department or other local agency for the performance
of inspections with respect to any food or other product over which he
OR SHE has jurisdiction, powers and duties under the provisions of this
chapter.
§ 4. Subdivision 1 of section 2599-b of the public health law, as
amended by section 1 of part A of chapter 469 of the laws of 2015, is
amended to read as follows:
1. The program shall be designed to prevent and reduce the incidence
and prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents, especially among
populations with high rates of obesity and obesity-related health
complications including, but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease,
cancer, osteoarthritis, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, other
chronic respiratory diseases and other conditions. The program shall use
recommendations and goals of the United States departments of agricul-
ture and health and human services, the surgeon general and centers for
disease control and prevention in developing and implementing guidelines
for nutrition education and physical activity projects as part of obesi-
ty prevention efforts. The content and implementation of the program
shall stress the benefits of choosing a balanced, healthful diet from
the many options available to consumers[, without specifically targeting
S. 7487--B 4
the elimination of any particular food group, food product or food-re-
lated industry].
§ 5. Severability. If any part or provision of this act or its appli-
cation to a person is held invalid, the invalidity of that provision or
application does not affect other provisions or applications of this act
that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become a law.