Bill Text: NY A01549 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires additional labels on clothing composed of more than fifty percent synthetic material to notify consumers such clothing sheds plastic microfibers when washed.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to environmental conservation [A01549 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A01549-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1549 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 15, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, BARRON, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to requiring additional labels on certain microfiber clothing The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Article 37 of the environmental conservation law is amended 2 by adding a new title 9 to read as follows: 3 TITLE IX 4 SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MICROFIBER 5 Section 37-0901. Definitions. 6 37-0903. Microfiber clothing label requirements. 7 37-0905. Preemption. 8 37-0907. Rules and regulations. 9 § 37-0901. Definitions. 10 As used in this article: 1. "Clothing" means an article of apparel 11 intended to be worn by a person, not including hats or shoes. 12 2. "Plastic microfiber" means a small synthetic particle that is 13 fibrous in shape, less than five millimeters in length, and is released 14 into water through the regular washing of textiles made from synthetic 15 material. 16 § 37-0903. Microfiber clothing label requirements. 17 1. Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-one, no person, firm, 18 partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation shall 19 manufacture for sale any new clothing made from fabric that is composed 20 of more than fifty percent synthetic material, if a care label is 21 required for that clothing pursuant to part four hundred twenty-three of 22 title sixteen of the code of federal regulations, without including on 23 such care label, in addition to the care information and instructions 24 required pursuant to such federal law, one of the following statements, 25 as applicable: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05885-01-9A. 1549 2 1 a. For clothing for which machine washing or hand washing is recom- 2 mended or required: "This garment sheds plastic microfibers when washed. 3 Hand washing recommended to reduce shedding." 4 b. For all other clothing that does not meet the description in para- 5 graph a of this subdivision or if including the statement in paragraph a 6 of this subdivision would violate part four hundred twenty-three of 7 title sixteen of the code of federal regulations: "This garment sheds 8 plastic microfibers when washed." 9 2. Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-one, no person, firm, 10 partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation shall 11 sell or offer for sale any new clothing made from fabric that is 12 composed of more than fifty percent synthetic material without a 13 conspicuous label that is visible to the consumer at the point of sale, 14 in the form of a sticker, hang tag, or any other label type, that 15 includes one of the following statements, as applicable: 16 a. For clothing for which machine washing or hand washing is recom- 17 mended or required: "This garment sheds plastic microfibers when washed, 18 which contributes to marine plastic pollution. Hand washing recommended 19 to reduce shedding." 20 b. For clothing for which dry cleaning is required: "This garment 21 sheds plastic microfibers when washed, which contributes to marine plas- 22 tic pollution. Dry clean only." 23 c. For all other clothing that does not meet the description in para- 24 graph a or b of this subdivision or if including the applicable state- 25 ment in paragraph a or b of this subdivision would violate part four 26 hundred twenty-three of title sixteen of the code of federal regu- 27 lations: "This garment sheds plastic microfibers when washed, which 28 contributes to marine plastic pollution." 29 § 37-0905. Preemption. 30 The provisions of this title shall preempt any ordinance or resolution 31 of a municipality, county or any other local government entity relating 32 to synthetic plastic microfiber. 33 § 37-0907. Rules and regulations. 34 The department is authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations 35 as it shall deem necessary to implement the provisions of this title. 36 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.