Amd §390-m, Soc Serv L (as proposed in S.6900 & A.2150-A)
Relates to window coverings required in child day care centers; requires child day care centers to ensure that all window and door blind cords, ropes, wires and other strangulation hazards are secured and inaccessible to children in accordance with the regulations of the office of children and family services.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
992
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to window coverings
required in child day care centers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 390-m of the social services law, as added by a
2 chapter of the laws of 2022 relating to establishing Brendan's law; and
3 amending the social services law relating to requiring cordless window
4 coverings in child day care centers and certain other facilities, as
5 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6900 and A. 2150-A, is amended
6 to read as follows:
7 § 390-m. [Cordless window] Window coverings [required]. 1. For
8 purposes of this section the following terms shall have the meanings set
9 forth below:
10 (a) "Beaded chain" means a cord with a series of small spheres, typi-
11 cally made of metal or plastic.
12 (b) "Cord loop" means a loop formed by an inner cord that does not
13 diminish in size when the force used to create the loop is removed.
14 (c) "Cordless window covering" means:
15 (i) a horizontal blind or cellular shade that has no draw cord and the
16 internal lift cord runs in the slats of the horizontal blind so that the
17 cord is incapable of forming a loop greater than 4 inches in diameter
18 resulting in a 12-inch maximum circumference;
19 (ii) a Roman shade, roll-up blind, or woven shade that has no draw
20 cord and the lift cord is completely enclosed so that it is not accessi-
21 ble;
22 (iii) a vertical blind that has a wand as its operating mechanism and
23 does not contain any beaded chains, corded pulleys, or other cord loop
24 operating mechanisms; and
25 (iv) a roller shade that does not contain a cord or beaded chain.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04030-01-3
A. 992 2
1 (d) "Draw cord" means any form of rope, strap, or string used to raise
2 or lower a window covering.
3 (e) "Internal lift cord" means a cord that is contained inside the
4 body and rails of the blind or shade.
5 (f) "Wand" means a rigid material used for manual operation.
6 2. Any child day care center as defined in paragraph (c) of subdivi-
7 sion one of section three hundred ninety of this title [or any author-
8 ized agency as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision ten of section
9 three hundred seventy-one of this title including any agency boarding
10 home or group home] installing new or replacement window coverings shall
11 install cordless window coverings or window coverings with inaccessible
12 operational and inner cords.
13 3. Any child day care center as defined in paragraph (c) of subdivi-
14 sion one of section three hundred ninety of this title [or any author-
15 ized agency as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision ten of section
16 three hundred seventy-one of this title including any agency boarding
17 home or group home] that has window coverings in place [prior to] on the
18 effective date of this section, shall [meet the requirements of
19 ANSI/WCMA A 100.1-2018 or any successor standard thereto, including
20 standards for:
21 (a) Roman shades, roll-up shades, woven shades, and all window
22 coverings with exposed and unsecured cords;
23 (b) horizontal blinds, cellular shades, and all window coverings that
24 have exposed draw cords for their operation; and
25 (c) vertical blinds and other window covering products with loops
26 utilized in their operation] ensure that all window and door blind
27 cords, ropes, wires and other strangulation hazards are secured and
28 inaccessible to children in accordance with the regulations of the
29 office of children and family services.
30 4. If a [person] child day care center fails to comply with the
31 requirements of subdivision three of this section, the [authorized agen-
32 cy] office of children and family services may require replacement of
33 existing window coverings with cordless window coverings or window
34 coverings with inaccessible operational and inner cords.
35 § 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
36 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2022 relating to establishing
37 Brendan's law; and amending the social services law relating to requir-
38 ing cordless window coverings in child day care centers and certain
39 other facilities, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6900 and
40 A. 2150-A, takes effect.
