STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1155--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. SKOUFIS, GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered print-
ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer
Protection -- recommitted to the Committee on Consumer Protection in
accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring
certain non-licensed professionals to disclose information regarding
risks
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
2 391-w to read as follows:
3 § 391-w. Self-help practitioner disclosure requirements. 1. Defi-
4 nitions:
5 (a) "Self-help practitioner" means any individual, their agent or
6 employee, or company that is publicly holding themself out as a practi-
7 tioner or mentor of self-improvement methods in advertising or marketing
8 or utilizing similar terminologies to reach equivalent implications, and
9 is offering financial, spiritual or educational guidance for the purpose
10 of improving personal awareness, identifying and developing personal
11 talent and potential, enhancing the quality of life of a person and/or
12 contributing to the realization of personal aspirations in exchange for
13 payment. A "self-help practitioner" shall not include any individual
14 licensed pursuant to the provisions of title eight of the education law
15 and such licensed individuals shall be exempt from any requirements of
16 this article.
17 (b) "Large print format" shall mean a printed font size of sixteen
18 points or larger.
19 (c) "Sweat lodge ceremonies" shall mean any ceremony that uses heated
20 rocks in which the individual is subjected to long periods of exposure
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03725-05-4
S. 1155--A 2
1 to intense heat, including but not limited to rites of preparation,
2 prayer, purification, or any other ritual or therapeutic sweating.
3 (d) "Trust exercise" shall mean any activity developed for the purpose
4 of group therapy or team building that involves putting an individual in
5 a vulnerable position requiring such individual to depend on other group
6 members for physical support.
7 (e) "Strength exercise" shall mean physical acts using any part of an
8 individual's body to break, bend, or otherwise destroy another object,
9 including but not limited to breaking bricks, blocks, boards, or bending
10 steel.
11 (f) "Coercive control techniques" shall mean activities that seek to
12 change behaviors either on a group or individual level, including but
13 not limited to neuro-linguistic programming, public shaming, and sharing
14 of personal trauma in a public setting or large group.
15 (g) "Qualifying emergency" shall mean:
16 (i) a federal, state or local state of emergency has been declared.
17 (ii) severe weather or any other similar circumstance exists that may
18 result in an individual being placed in imminent danger of death or
19 injury, or may result in a building structure and/or its fixtures being
20 at risk of significant damage.
21 2. Every self-help practitioner that offers services to clients shall:
22 (a) at the time of each initial contract for services, provide the
23 client with a copy of the contract in which a disclosure of risk is
24 displayed in large print format. Such disclosure of risk shall clearly
25 explain, in plain language, what the risks are in contracting with such
26 self-help practitioner. Such disclosure shall include the following:
27 (i) Disclosure of risk of serious injury, bodily harm, psychological
28 harm, or death in relation to specific activities, events, and services
29 offered. Such activities may include, but are not limited to, sweat
30 lodge ceremonies, sensory deprivation, food deprivation, water depri-
31 vation, sleep deprivation, social isolation, exposure to loud noises or
32 music, fire walking, hypnosis, activities using an axe or any weapon
33 defined in section 265.00 of the penal law, tests of endurance, breath
34 manipulation to limit oxygen levels and induce altered mental states,
35 trust exercises, rope and other obstacle courses, hikes, rappelling,
36 strength exercises, and coercive control techniques.
37 (ii) A financial and legal disclaimer that clearly and conspicuously
38 states that the self-help practitioner is not certified or registered to
39 give personal financial and/or legal advice, whether as an attorney,
40 accountant, or financial advisor.
41 (iii) A provision that clearly and conspicuously states all necessary
42 information to cancel and, if an available option, request a refund for
43 services, events, and activities not rendered.
44 (b) at the time of each initial contract for services, provide the
45 client with a copy of any credentials, training, or certifications held
46 by the self-help practitioner.
47 (c) produce a comprehensive risk management plan to ensure that steps
48 will be taken at each service or session of an activity to provide
49 protection for clients in the event that there is a reasonable expecta-
50 tion of risk of physical harm or a qualifying emergency. Such activities
51 may include, but are not limited to, sweat lodge ceremonies, sensory
52 deprivation, food deprivation, water deprivation, sleep deprivation,
53 social isolation, exposure to loud noises or music, fire walking, hypno-
54 sis, activities using an axe or any weapon defined in section 265.00 of
55 the penal law, tests of endurance, breath manipulation to limit oxygen
56 levels and induce altered mental states, trust exercises, rope and other
S. 1155--A 3
1 obstacle courses, hikes, rappelling, strength exercises, and coercive
2 control techniques. Such comprehensive risk management plan shall
3 include the following:
4 (i) A detailed itemized list of emergency resources and their
5 locations, including but not limited to water, food, medical supplies,
6 and cooling and heating tents.
7 (ii) A detailed outline of the necessary actions by the self-help
8 practitioner or other sponsors of the activity in providing timely
9 notification to the responsible municipal, county, state agency or offi-
10 cial in the event of a qualifying emergency.
11 (iii) An emergency contact list for the self-help practitioner, event
12 leadership, and on-site medical professionals as required by paragraph
13 (d) of this subdivision, to be distributed to members attending the
14 activity.
15 (iv) Location of emergency exits, forms of egress in the event of a
16 fire or similar emergency, and location of shelter-in-place gathering
17 points.
18 (d) be responsible for ensuring that licensed medical professionals
19 are made available to clients at each session or service when there is a
20 reasonable expectation of physical risk or if any activity that requires
21 a comprehensive risk management plan to be developed in accordance with
22 paragraph (c) of this subdivision is taking place.
23 3. A violation by any self-help practitioner of subdivision two of
24 this section, if such violation constitutes the first such offense by
25 such self-help practitioner, is punishable by a civil penalty not to
26 exceed two hundred fifty dollars. A second offense and any offense
27 committed thereafter is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed five
28 hundred dollars.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
30 have become a law.
