Requires the commissioner of labor, in consultation with the commissioner of agriculture and markets, commissioner of health and the commissioner of environmental conservation, to develop instructional tools and materials for occupations at high-risk of 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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7651--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. COONEY, MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor -- recommitted
to the Committee on Labor in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the commissioner
of labor to develop instructional tools and materials for occupations
at high-risk of tick exposures
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 21 of the labor law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 17 to read as follows:
3 17. (a) Shall, in consultation with the commissioner of agriculture
4 and markets, the commissioner of health and the commissioner of environ-
5 mental conservation, develop instructional tools and materials for occu-
6 pations at high-risk of tick exposures. Such instructional tools and
7 materials shall complement the public awareness campaign established
8 pursuant to section sixteen-b of the agriculture and markets law and
9 provide specific information on the identification of ticks, best prac-
10 tices to provide protection from ticks, and recommended procedures for
11 safe tick removal.
12 (b) Occupations at high-risk of tick exposures shall include, but not
13 limited to,the following:
14 (i) farmers, farm workers, and other agricultural employees;
15 (ii) landscape workers;
16 (iii) forestry workers;
17 (iv) first responders;
18 (v) road crews; and
19 (vi) utility crews.
20 (c) Such instructional tools and materials may include, but need not
21 be limited to, video productions, pamphlets, and demonstration programs
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11580-05-6
S. 7651--A 2
1 to illustrate the various sizes of ticks before and after they have
2 engorged to assist with the identification of ticks and the reaction on
3 the skin, for a variety of skin tones, that may occur as a result of a
4 tick bite, and protection against tick bites.
5 (d) Such instructional tools and materials shall be made available to
6 high-risk employers and employees upon request at no charge and shall be
7 reviewed and updated annually.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
