Requires operators of petting zoos to maintain hand washing or hand cleansing facilities for persons attending such petting zoos within no more than fifty feet of the exit from the petting zoo area; and requires other public establishments featuring animals that patrons may reasonably come in contact with to provide hand washing or hand cleansing facilities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7846
IN SENATE
June 13, 2014
___________
Introduced by Sen. LIBOUS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law and the public health law, in
relation to requiring operators of petting zoos and other public
establishments featuring animals to maintain hand washing or hand
cleansing facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
2 399-ff to read as follows:
3 § 399-ff. Petting zoos. 1. For purposes of this section the terms:
4 (a) "petting zoo" shall mean a place where a collection of animals are
5 kept for the express purpose of viewing, touching, holding and petting
6 by patrons and visitors to the establishment; and
7 (b) "hand washing or hand cleansing facility" shall mean any method of
8 cleansing the hands that kills germs and bacteria including, but not
9 limited to, soap and running water, anti-bacterial fluids, foams or
10 gels, and anti-bacterial or antiseptic wipes or towels.
11 2. All petting zoo operators shall provide and maintain at least one
12 clearly designated hand washing facility for patrons and visitors to the
13 establishment to wash or cleanse their hands upon exiting such petting
14 zoo area. Such hand washing or hand cleansing facility shall be main-
15 tained at or within no more than fifty feet of the exit from such
16 petting zoo area.
17 3. Every exit from a petting zoo area shall have a sign conspicuously
18 posted that shall state, in a clear and legible typeface, the following:
19 "Animals at petting zoos may carry germs and bacteria that cause
20 disease. It is strongly recommended that persons wash their hands upon
21 exiting the petting zoo area". Such sign shall also indicate the direc-
22 tion in which such hand washing or hand cleansing facility is located.
23 4. Any operator of a petting zoo who fails to maintain a hand washing
24 or hand cleansing facility and proper signage in violation of this
25 section shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount of up to five
26 hundred dollars.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00083-03-4
S. 7846 2
1 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 1311 to
2 read as follows:
3 § 1311. Hand washing facilities at certain public establishments
4 featuring animals. 1. All public establishments including, but not
5 limited to, carnivals, fairs and amusement parks, as such terms are
6 defined in section eight hundred seventy-c of the labor law, farms, and
7 farmers' markets, as such term is defined in section two hundred sixty
8 of the agriculture and markets law, which feature displays of live
9 animals that patrons may reasonably be expected to come into physical
10 contact with for the purpose of touching, holding or petting shall
11 provide hand washing or hand cleansing facilities for such patrons. Hand
12 washing or hand cleansing facilities may be temporary or permanent
13 fixtures and shall include one or more of the following: soap and
14 running water; anti-bacterial fluids, foams or gels; or anti-bacterial
15 or antiseptic wipes or towels.
16 2. Signs shall be conspicuously posted and shall state in a clear and
17 legible typeface, the following: "Animals may carry germs and bacteria
18 that can cause disease to people. It is strongly recommended that
19 persons wash or cleanse their hands after touching, holding or petting
20 the animals." Such signs shall also indicate where the hand washing or
21 hand cleansing facility is located.
22 3. The commissioner may make rules guarding against the spread of
23 bacteria and viruses at public establishments that feature animals as
24 provided in subdivision one of this section, to persons employed at or
25 to patrons of such establishments where such establishments are located
26 outside the city of New York, and where such establishments are located
27 within the city of New York, the commissioner of public health of the
28 city of New York may make and enforce such rules.
29 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
30 it shall have become a law.
