Requires the commissioner of labor, in consultation with the commissioner of health and the commissioner of environmental conservation, to develop instructional tools and materials for industries at high-risk for occupational tick exposures; requires such materials to provide information on the identification of ticks and tick removal, and protection from tick bites; requires such materials to be available to high-risk employers and employees at no charge.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8031
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the commissioner
of labor to develop instructional tools and materials for industries
at high-risk for occupational tick exposures
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 21 of the labor law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH
AND THE COMMISSIONER OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, SHALL DEVELOP
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR INDUSTRIES AT HIGH-RISK FOR OCCU-
PATIONAL TICK EXPOSURES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AGRICULTURE,
LANDSCAPING, AND FORESTRY, TO ASSIST IN THE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
PROGRAM TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM LYME DISEASE AND TICK-BORNE INFECTIONS
ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTEEN-B OF THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS
LAW, AND FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, ROAD CREWS, AND UTILITY CREWS. SUCH
INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE IDEN-
TIFICATION OF TICKS, BEST PRACTICES TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM TICKS AND
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES FOR SAFE TICK REMOVAL. SUCH INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS
AND MATERIALS MAY INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO, VIDEO
PRODUCTIONS, PAMPHLETS, AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS TO ILLUSTRATE THE
VARIOUS SIZES OF TICKS BEFORE AND AFTER THEY HAVE ENGORGED TO ASSIST
WITH THE IDENTIFICATION OF TICKS AND THE REACTION ON THE SKIN, FOR A
VARIETY OF SKIN TONES, THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF A TICK BITE, AND
PROTECTION AGAINST TICK BITES. SUCH INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS
SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO HIGH-RISK EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES UPON
REQUEST AT NO CHARGE AND SHALL BE REVIEWED AND UPDATED ANNUALLY.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11580-03-5
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