Senate Bill S6609

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6609
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. SANDERS, SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing,
   Construction and Community Development
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the public housing law, in relation to water contam-
   ination, lead paint and air quality testing in New York  city  housing
   authority buildings

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The public  housing  law  is  amended  by  adding  two  new
 sections 402-h and 402-i to read as follows:
   §  402-H.  WATER CONTAMINATION, LEAD PAINT AND AIR QUALITY TESTING. 1.
 THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE FOR ANNUAL WATER TEST-
 ING TO MONITOR FOR LEAD OR COPPER CONTAMINATION IN  THE  WATER  OF  EACH
 BUILDING  UNDER  THE  JURISDICTION OF THE AUTHORITY. THE AUTHORITY SHALL
 TRANSMIT A COPY OF SUCH RESULTS  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  HEALTH.  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF THIS SECTION, TAP WATER SHALL BE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED IF
 SUCH WATER EXCEEDS THE LEAD OR COPPER ACTION LEVEL BASED  ON  FIRST-DRAW
 TAP  SAMPLES  AS  PROVIDED IN RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
 HEALTH AUTHORIZED UNDER SECTION TWO HUNDRED ONE  OF  THE  PUBLIC  HEALTH
 LAW.
   2.  THE  AUTHORITY,  IN  CONJUNCTION  WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH,
 SHALL CONDUCT LEAD PAINT TESTING TO MONITOR FOR  THE  PRESENCE  OF  LEAD
 PAINT  IN  EACH  BUILDING  UNDER  THE JURISDICTION OF THE AUTHORITY. THE
 AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE TO ALL TENANTS WHERE SUCH  TESTING  INDI-
 CATES THE PRESENCE OF LEAD PAINT IN A BUILDING UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF
 THE AUTHORITY.
   3. THE AUTHORITY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH SHALL
 BE  REQUIRED TO CONDUCT ANNUAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY TESTING TO MONITOR FOR
 AIR QUALITY IN EACH BUILDING UNDER THE JURISDICTION  OF  THE  AUTHORITY.
 THE  AUTHORITY SHALL TRANSMIT A COPY OF SUCH RESULTS TO THE COMMISSIONER
 OF HEALTH. THE AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE NOTICE TO ALL TENANTS WHERE  SUCH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09822-01-5
              

 S. 6609                             2
 
 AIR  QUALITY  TEST RESULTS EXCEED DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INDOOR AIR GUIDE-
 LINES OR THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
   4.  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL  BE CIVILLY LIABLE FOR ACTUAL DAMAGES OF ANY
 TENANT, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT SUCH TENANT HAS SUFFERED ADVERSE HEALTH
 CONDITIONS CAUSED BY THE INDOOR AIR  QUALITY,  LEAD  PAINT  PRESENCE  OR
 WATER CONTAMINATION OF A BUILDING UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE AUTHORI-
 TY.
   §  402-I.  FALSIFYING  AUTHORITY RECORDS NOTIFICATION. 1. THE NEW YORK
 CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ALL  EMPLOYEES  THAT
 ANY  EMPLOYEE OF THE AUTHORITY WHO FALSIFIES RECORDS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO: (A) PROVIDING INACCURATE WATER CONTAMINATION  RESULTS,  LEAD
 PAINT  TEST  RESULTS  OR  INDOOR AIR QUALITY REPORTS; (B) FALSIFYING ANY
 SIGNATURE; OR (C) MAKING A FALSE ENTRY IN OR FALSELY ALTERING ANY RECORD
 OR OTHER WRITTEN INSTRUMENT FILED WITH THE AUTHORITY SHALL BE GUILTY  OF
 TAMPERING  WITH  PUBLIC RECORDS IN THE SECOND DEGREE PURSUANT TO SECTION
 175.20 OF THE PENAL LAW.
   2. THE AUTHORITY SHALL  REFER  ANY  CASE  OF  AN  EMPLOYEE  FALSIFYING
 RECORDS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.