BILL NUMBER: S5056
SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the
department of health examine heat vulnerability and heat-related deaths
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Requires the Department of Health (DOH) to examine heat-related deaths
in the state of New York.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the public health law by adding a new section 212
defining the terms "heat-exacerbated death," "heat stress death," and
"heat vulnerability," and requiring that DOH utilize certain statistical
methods to assess daily temperature in relation to daily mortality to
estimate heat-exacerbated deaths.
The bill would require DOH to issue an annual report examining heat
vulnerability and heat-related deaths in the State, and that such report
be submitted to the Legislature no later than June 15th, 2026, and annu-
ally thereafter. Such report is required to be conspicuously posted on
DOH's website as well.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
According to official data from the New York City government, each
summer, an estimated 350 New Yorkers die prematurely due to hot weather
in New York City (NYC). These heat-related deaths account for approxi-
mately 2% of all deaths during the warm months of May through September.
This has prompted the city to adopt measures to monitor and collect data
on this issue, aiming to make better-informed decisions to save lives.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, and
Copernicus-the EU's meteorological association-announced in their latest
report released in January 2025 that 2024 was the hottest year in
recorded human history. In light of the global climate crisis, which
continues to grow more alarming, the State of New York must be adequate-
ly prepared to address these challenges.
High temperatures significantly impact people's lives differently. Data
collected in NYC reveals that vulnerable populations face greater risks
of heat-related deaths, particularly Black individuals, who are twice as
likely to die from heat-exacerbated conditions compared to White indi-
viduals. Additionally, those without air conditioning in their homes are
at considerable risk, as most heat-related deaths occur in residential
settings.
This bill expands the definitions of heat-related deaths, to include
both heat-exacerbated and heat-stress deaths, to raise awareness of the
issue, it would mandate the implementation of statistical models to
monitor temperatures and heat-related deaths, and requires the
collection of complementary data on vulnerability contexts and demo-
graphics. Furthermore, it directs the preparation of an annual report to
be submitted to the Senate and Assembly and made publicly available on
the department's website.
These measures would enable the Senate and Assembly to make informed
legislative decisions based on the collected data. Additionally, New
York State would be better positioned to develop plans to mitigate the
risks posed by extreme heat.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.