Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) that would mandate rapid disclosure by the MTA of bed bug infestations on board its trains and buses has passed the New York State Assembly and is now in front of the State Senate.

The bill (A1906) directs that the MTA develop a mechanism for alerting riders of the issue within 24 hours of discovery, via postings on its website and/or by sending alerts to those riders’ emails and cellphone numbers that the MTA has in its system.

In 2025, the bill passed the Assembly but died in the Senate. The March 25, 2026 passage of the bill by the Assembly restarts the process. The Senate version (S4937) is currently in front of that body’s Transportation Committee.

“This is extremely important for residents of New York City and nearby suburbs, who worry – for good reason, because bed bugs are difficult to eradicate once they have taken hold – about encountering bed bugs when they use public transportation. But, the MTA – for no good reason – has been resistant about alerting its customers when an infestation has been detected. Millions of New Yorkers use our critically important trains and buses regularly; they should not have to add ‘Will I bring home bed bugs?’ to their list of concerns as they go about their daily life.”

Assemblyman Colton warns that it only takes a single bed bug hitching a ride on a bag or piece of clothing to bring the infestation home. While the pests are not believed to cause disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, they feed off human blood and can cause red, itchy welts, often in clusters.

In 2014, the last year for which the city’s Department of Health has made data available, there were approximately 327,000 cases of bed bugs reported across the city, with 125,000 reported in Brooklyn. According to pest control company Orkin, in 2024, New York City ranked second in the nation in the number of bed bug infestations, based on how many treatments the company performed in the five boroughs, but has dropped several slots to 15^th, as of 2025.