NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A721
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to regu-
lation of toxic chemicals in pet products
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would prevent the sale and distribution of pet products which
contain any of the toxic chemicals outlined in this legislation.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends article 37 of the environmental conservation law by
adding a new title 9.
Section two establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
In the last few years, children's products have come under intense scru-
tiny for the effects of the chemicals they contain. Unfortunately, pet
products have not been subject to the same standards of regulation,
despite evidence of toxic chemicals in many common pet products. Dogs in
particular have been found to be the most susceptible to the dangers of
toxic products, particularly "Greenies," Nylabones, rawhide, fetching
batons, and many products used to kill ticks and fleas, including but
not limited to collars, sprays, and dusts. Enacting regulations on pet
products would not only protect pets but also young children who come
into contact with pet toys.
The poisons in many of these products are not safe, either for pets or
humans. Across the United States, thousands of acute toxic poisonings
have been logged at poison control centers. Government regulation of
these products has been lackluster, and testing of their impact in the
home has been inadequate. The result is that many of the products sold
by the millions in grocery, drug and pet supply stores, even when
applied as instructed on the box, can cause serious health consequences
to pets and people, especially children.
Studies conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2009
uncovered health issues stemming from products that rely on two specific
chemical families called organophosphates and carbamates. These chemi-
cals kill fleas and ticks by interfering with the transmission of nerve
signals. Since the chemical process they attack is common to insects,
humans, dogs and cats, they harm more than just fleas and ticks. The
April 2009 paper Poison on Pets II detailed a first-of-its-kind study by
NRDC showing that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog's
or cat's fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. These
chemicals pose long-term hazards to animals and human including brain
and nervous system damage, and the potential for cancer. Residue levels
produced by some flea collars are so high that they pose a risk of
cancer and damage to the neurological system of children up to 1,000
times higher than the EPA's acceptable levels.
Children, and particularly toddlers, are especially vulnerable tc the
chemicals used to kill fleas and ticks for two reasons: their nervous
systems are still developing, allowing greater and more lasting damage,
and children's normal behavior brings them in close contact with their
pets, and therefore to any poisons applied to those pets. Specifically,
toddlers' hand-to-mouth tendencies make it easy for toxins to be ingest-
ed. Because children spend their time where the toxins from pet products
tend to accumulate crawling on rugs, playing with pet toys, touching
accumulations of household dust, and more - they are likely to come in
contact with these poisons even when not touching a pet.
In September 2009 the Michigan-based Ecology Center, a nonprofit envi-
ronmental organization that analyzes toxins in children's toys and other
consumer goods, tested hundreds of pet toys, tennis balls, beds, collars
and leashes. From the more than 400 pet products tested, 45% had detect-
able levels of one or more hazardous toxins, including arsenic, chlorine
and bromine. Studies have linked those chemicals to reproductive prob-
lems, developmental and learning disabilities, liver toxicity and
cancer. Of the tennis balls tested, 48% contained detectable levels of
lead. Researchers discovered that tennis balls made specifically for
pets were more likely to contain lead than "sports" tennis balls. None
of the "sports" tennis balls tested contained any lead. While 1/4 of all
the products had detectable levels of lead, 7% of all pet products had
lead levels higher than the 300 ppm allowed in children's toys. The
lettering on one "pet" tennis ball, for example, contained 2;696 ppm of
lead and 262 ppm of arsenic. Nearly half of the pet collars tested had
detectable levels of lead; 27% had lead levels that exceeded 300 ppm.
The findings by the Ecology Center prompted Dr. Safdar Kahn, the Senior
Director of Toxicology at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, to
express support for regulation of pet products. Dr. Kahn's own research
has shown that if there are excessive amounts of lead in a toy, dogs are
at particularly high risk of overexposure to lead, as they like to chew
on things, lick things, and carry toys in their mouths. Some health
problems associated with canine lead toxicity include vomiting, weight
loss, anemia, seizures and permanent neurological damage.
A 2012 study conducted by researchers from The Institute of Environ-
mental and Human Health at Texas Tech found that BPA and phthalates, the
chemicals used to give elasticity to plastic and vinyl, can lead to
serious or lethal health disruptions in pets. The study further found
that aging or weathering increased the concentration of toxic chemicals
in these products, and that these chemicals can have adverse effects on
developing fetuses. The Texas Tech study raised questions about how much
of the chemicals are introduced to a pets' body while chewing on an
affected product, as well as how BPA and phthalates affect pets over a
long period of time. Though similar studies on humans remain inconclu-
sive, they have raised enough serious concern to warrant banning the use
of BPA in baby bottles. Many in the pet industry agree there should be
guidelines for lead and other worrisome chemicals in pet toys.
These studies illustrate why chemical safety standards are needed for
chew toys and other pet products. As bad as these products may be for
pet owners and caregivers, they often are worse for the pets themselves.
Based on the very limited data available, it appears that hundreds and
probably thousands of pets have been injured or killed through exposure
to pet products containing pesticides. As with small children, pets
cannot report when they're being poisoned at low doses. The threat posed
to humans and pets by the poisons in commonly available products is
intolerable and unnecessary.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: A.7876 - Referred to Environmental Conservation
2017-18: A.7739 (Titone) - Advanced to Third Reading Calendar; 5.7660
Referred to Environmental Conservation
2015-16: A.3585-A (Titone) - Reported to Codes; S.4676-A - Referred to
Environmental Conservation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill will take effect 120 days after it becomes law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
721
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 6, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to regu-
lation of toxic chemicals in pet products
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 10 to read as follows:
3 TITLE X
4 TOXIC CHEMICALS IN PET PRODUCTS
5 Section 37-1001. Definitions.
6 37-1003. Priority chemicals and chemicals of high concern.
7 37-1005. Disclosure of information on priority chemicals.
8 37-1007. Sales prohibition.
9 37-1009. Applicability.
10 37-1011. Enforcement and implementation.
11 37-1013. Interstate chemical clearinghouse.
12 37-1015. Regulations.
13 § 37-1001. Definitions.
14 As used in this title, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
15 following terms have the following meanings.
16 1. "Chemical" means a substance with a distinct molecular composition
17 or a group of structurally related substances and includes the breakdown
18 products of the substance or substances that form through decomposition,
19 degradation or metabolism.
20 2. "Chemicals of high concern" means:
21 (a) 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane (CAS 79-34-5)
22 (a-1) 1,2-Dibromoethane (CAS 106-93-4)
23 (a-2) 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyl-4-butylphenol; 4-tert-octylphenol (CAS 140-
24 66-9)
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00504-01-1
A. 721 3
1 (pp) Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) (CAS 25637-99-4)
2 (qq) Hexachlorobenzene (CAS 118-74-1)
3 (rr) Hexachlorobutadiene (CAS 87-68-3)
4 (ss) Lead & lead compounds (CAs 7439-92-1)
5 (tt) Mercury & mercury compounds (CAS 7439-97-6) including methyl
6 mercury (CAS 22967-92-6)
7 (uu) Methyl ethyl ketone (CAS 78-93-3)
8 (vv) Methyl paraben (CAS 99-76-3)
9 (ww) Methylene chloride (CAS 75-09-2)
10 (ww-1) Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (CAS 1634-04-4)
11 (xx) Molybdenum & molybdenum compounds (CAS 7439-98-7)
12 (xx-1) Mono-n-butylphthalate (CAS 131-70-4)
13 (yy) N-methylpyrrolidone (CAS 872-50-4)
14 (yy-1) Nickel and nickel compounds (CAS N/A)
15 (zz) N-nitrosodimethylamine (CAS 62-75-9)
16 (aaa) N-nitrosodiphenylamine (CAS 86-30-6)
17 (bbb) Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (CAS 556-67-2)
18 (ccc) Para-chloroaniline (CAS 106-47-3)
19 (ddd) Perchloroethylene (CAS 127-18-4)
20 (eee) Perfluorooctanyl sulphonic acid and its salts (PFOS) (CAS 1763-
21 23-1)
22 (fff) Phenol (CAS 108-95-2)
23 (ggg) Phenol, 4-octyl- (CAS 1806-26-4)
24 (hhh) Phthalic anhydride (CAS 85-44-9)
25 (iii) P-hydroxybenzoic acid (CAS 99-96-7)
26 (jjj) Propyl paraben (CAS 94-13-3)
27 (jjj-1) Silica, crystalline (in the form of quartz or cristabolite
28 dust) (CAS 14808-60-7)
29 (kkk) Styrene (CAS 100-42-5)
30 (lll) Tetrabromobisphenol A (CAS 79-94-7)
31 (mmm) Toluene (CAS 108-88-3)
32 (nnn) Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (CAS 13674-87-3)
33 (ooo) Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (CAS 115-96-8)
34 (ppp) Vinyl chloride (CAS 75-01-4)
35 3. "Distributor" means a person who sells pet products to retail
36 establishments on a wholesale basis.
37 4. "Intentionally added" means the deliberate use in the formulation
38 of a product or subpart where its continued presence is desired in the
39 final product or subpart to provide a specific characteristic, appear-
40 ance or quality.
41 5. "Manufacturer" means any person who currently manufactures pet
42 products or whose brand name is affixed to a pet product. In the case of
43 pet products that were imported into the United States, "manufacturer"
44 includes the importer or first domestic distributor of the pet products
45 if the person who currently manufactures or assembles the pet products
46 or whose brand name is affixed to the pet products does not have a pres-
47 ence in the United States.
48 6. "Pet" means any domesticated animal normally maintained in or near
49 the household of the owner or person who cares for such domesticated
50 animal. "Pet" shall not include a "farm animal" as defined by subdivi-
51 sion four of section three hundred fifty of the agriculture and markets
52 law.
53 7. "Pet apparel" means any item of clothing that consists of fabric or
54 related material intended or promoted for use in pet clothing.
55 8. "Pet product" means a product primarily intended for, made for or
56 marketed for use by a pet, such as toys, car seats, bedding, personal
A. 721 4
1 care products, a product designed or intended by the manufacturer to be
2 chewed by the pet, and pet apparel. "Pet product" does not include a
3 food or beverage or an additive to a food or beverage regulated by the
4 United States Food and Drug Administration.
5 9. "Priority chemical" means (a) the following chemicals:
6 CASRN13674-87-8Tris (1, 3 dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate
7 CASRN71-43-2Benzene
8 CASRN7439-92-1lead and compounds (inorganic)
9 CASRN7439-97-6Mercury and mercury compounds, including methyl
10 mercury (CASRN 22967-92-6)
11 CASRN50-00-0Formaldahyde
12 CASRN7440-36-0Antimony and antimony compounds
13 CASRN7440-38-2Arsenic and arsenic compounds including arsenic
14 trioxide (CASRN 1327-53-3)
15 and dimethyl arsenic (CASRN 75-60-5)
16 CASRN7440-43-9Cadmium
17 CASRN7440-48-4Cobalt and cobalt compounds and
18 (b) a chemical adopted by the department pursuant to section 37-1003
19 of this title.
20 10. "Toy" means a product designed or intended by the manufacturer to
21 be used by a pet at play.
22 § 37-1003. Priority chemicals and chemicals of high concern.
23 1. Publishing of list. Within one hundred eighty days of the effective
24 date of this title, the department shall post lists of priority chemi-
25 cals and chemicals of high concern on the department's website.
26 2. Periodic review. (a) The department, in consultation with the
27 department of health, may periodically review the list of priority chem-
28 icals and, through regulation, identify additional priority chemicals or
29 chemicals of high concern or remove a chemical from such lists based on
30 evidence that the chemical is not present in a pet product or otherwise
31 should not be subject to the requirements of this title. Nothing herein
32 shall prevent the department from acting to add such chemicals outside
33 of the periodic review process.
34 (b) If a chemical is removed from the listing of chemicals of high
35 concern, it shall also be undesignated as a priority chemical.
36 (c) The department, in consultation with the department of health
37 shall identify a chemical as a chemical of high concern if, upon review,
38 it determines that the chemical has been identified by a state, federal
39 or international governmental entity on the basis of credible scientific
40 evidence as:
41 (i) A carcinogen, a reproductive or developmental toxicant or an
42 endocrine disruptor;
43 (ii) Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic; or
44 (iii) Very persistent and very bioaccumulative.
45 (d) In making such determination, the department may consider but is
46 not limited to considering:
47 (i) chemicals identified as "Group 1 carcinogens" or "Group 2A carci-
48 nogens" by the World Health Organization, International Agency for
49 Research on Cancer;
50 (ii) chemicals identified as "Group A carcinogens" or "Group B carci-
51 nogens" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency;
52 (iii) persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals identified by
53 other states or the United States Environmental Protection Agency; and
54 (iv) a very persistent, very bioaccumulative chemical listed in Annex
55 XIV, List of Substances Subject to Authorisation, Regulation (EC) No
A. 721 5
1 1907/2006 of the European Parliament concerning the Registration, Evalu-
2 ation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.
3 § 37-1005. Disclosure of information on priority chemicals.
4 1. Reporting of chemical use. No later than twelve months after a
5 priority chemical is listed on the list published pursuant to section
6 37-1003 of this title, every manufacturer who offers a pet product for
7 sale or distribution in this state that contains an intentionally added
8 priority chemical shall report such chemical use to the department. The
9 department may collaborate with other states and an interstate chemicals
10 clearinghouse in developing such form.
11 (a) This report must at a minimum identify the pet product, the prior-
12 ity chemical or chemicals contained in the pet product, and the intended
13 purpose of the chemicals in the pet product. The department may also
14 require reporting of the following information:
15 (i) the potential for harm to animal health and the environment from
16 specific uses of the priority chemical;
17 (ii) the amount of such chemical in each unit of the pet product,
18 expressed in a range;
19 (iii) information on the likelihood that the chemical will be released
20 from the pet product to the environment during the product's life cycle
21 and the extent to which users of the product are likely to be exposed to
22 the chemical; or
23 (iv) information on the extent to which the chemical is present in the
24 environment or animal body.
25 (b) The department is authorized to direct submission of a copy of
26 such report to the interstate chemicals clearinghouse.
27 2. Waiver of reporting. Upon application by a manufacturer, the
28 commissioner may waive all or part of the reporting requirements under
29 subdivision one of this section for one or more specified uses of a
30 priority chemical. In making such determination, the commissioner may
31 consider: (a) if substantially equivalent information is already public-
32 ly available or that the information is not needed for the purposes of
33 this chapter, (b) similar waivers granted by other states, and (c)
34 whether the specified use or uses are minor in volume.
35 3. Notice to retailers. A manufacturer of a pet product containing a
36 priority chemical shall notify persons that offer the pet products for
37 sale or distribution in the state, in a form prescribed by the depart-
38 ment, of the presence of such priority chemical, and provide such
39 persons with information regarding the toxicity of such chemical.
40 4. Fees. The manufacturer shall pay a fee upon submission of a report
41 of chemical use pursuant to subdivision one of this section or a waiver
42 request pursuant to subdivision two of this section to cover the depart-
43 ment's reasonable costs in the amount of six hundred dollars per chemi-
44 cal.
45 § 37-1007. Sales prohibition.
46 Effective January 1, 2024, no person shall distribute, sell or offer
47 for sale in this state pet products containing a priority chemical that
48 has been listed for at least one year.
49 § 37-1009. Applicability.
50 1. New pet products. The provisions of this title shall apply to chem-
51 icals in pet products sold or distributed as new and does not apply to
52 used pet products that are sold or distributed for free at secondhand
53 stores, yard sales, on the internet or donated to charities.
54 2. Industry. The requirements of this title shall not apply to priori-
55 ty chemicals used in or for industry or manufacturing, including chemi-
A. 721 6
1 cals processed or otherwise used in or for industrial or manufacturing
2 processes and not included in the final product.
3 3. Transportation. The requirements of this title shall not apply to
4 motor vehicles or their component parts, watercraft or their component
5 parts, all terrain vehicles or their component parts, or off-highway
6 motorcycles or their component parts, except that the use of priority
7 chemicals in detachable car seats for pets is not exempt.
8 4. Combustion. The requirements of this title shall not apply to
9 priority chemicals generated solely as combustion by-products or that
10 are present in combustible fuels.
11 5. Retailers. A retailer is exempt from the requirements of this title
12 unless that retailer knowingly sells a pet product containing a priority
13 chemical after the effective date of its prohibition for which that
14 retailer has received notification pursuant to subdivision three of
15 section 37-1005 of this title.
16 § 37-1011. Enforcement and implementation.
17 1. Failure to provide notice. A pet product containing a priority
18 chemical may not be sold, offered for sale or distributed for sale in
19 this state unless the manufacturer has provided the notification
20 required under section 37-1005 of this title by the date required in
21 such section. The commissioner may exempt a pet product from this prohi-
22 bition if, in the commissioner's judgment, the lack of availability of
23 the pet product could pose an unreasonable risk to public health, safety
24 or welfare.
25 2. Statement of compliance. If there are grounds to suspect that a pet
26 product is being offered for sale in violation of this title, the
27 department may request the manufacturer of the pet product to provide a
28 statement of compliance on a form provided by the department, within ten
29 days of receipt of a request from the department. The statement of
30 compliance shall:
31 (a) attest that the pet product does not contain the priority chemi-
32 cal; or
33 (b) attest and provide the department with documentation that notifi-
34 cation of the presence of the priority chemical has been provided to the
35 department or provide notice as required by section 37-1005 of this
36 title; or
37 (c) attest that the manufacturer has notified persons who sell the
38 product in this state that the sale of the pet product is prohibited.
39 § 37-1013. Interstate chemical clearinghouse.
40 1. The department is authorized to participate in an interstate chemi-
41 cals clearinghouse to assist in carrying out the requirements of this
42 title. The department shall work in collaboration with other states and
43 an interstate chemicals clearinghouse for the purpose of, including but
44 not limited to:
45 (a) collection and dissemination of information regarding chemical
46 hazards;
47 (b) collection and dissemination of information regarding the use of
48 chemicals in pet products;
49 (c) assessment of alternatives to chemicals and their use in products;
50 and
51 (d) public education.
52 2. Such clearinghouse is authorized to maintain information on behalf
53 of the state of New York, including, but not limited to, information
54 regarding chemicals contained in pet products disclosed pursuant to
55 section 37-1005 of this title.
56 § 37-1015. Regulations.
A. 721 7
1 The department may adopt any rules and regulations it deems necessary
2 to implement the provisions of this title.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
4 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the department of
5 environmental conservation is authorized to implement rules and regu-
6 lations for the timely implementation of this act on its effective date.