BILL NUMBER: S7839
SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
prohibiting the sale of medical adhesives and bandages containing
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
 
PURPOSE:
This bill would prohibit the sale of band-aids and bandages containing
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill adds provisions to the environmental conservation
law to ban the sale of PFAS chemicals in medical adhesives and bandages
and sets violations punishable by civil penalty not to exceed one thou-
sand dollars for the first violation; further violations not to exceed
two thousand five hundred dollars for each subsequent violation.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
An alarming new report by Environmental Health News and Mamavation, a
consumer health watchdog site, has revealed that 65% of bandage brands
tested, including popular brands such as Band-Aid, CVS Health, and Rite
Aid, contained detectable levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
better known as PFAS, or "forever chemicals."
Exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to many health problems
including cancer, thyroid disease, birth defects, and fertility compli-
cations. Current research suggests that certain PFAS chemicals inhaled
or absorbed through the skin can break down in the body and become toxic
and long-lasting. It is an outrageous public health hazard to have them
present on bandages being applied to open wounds. Additionally, bandag-
es of this variety are extremely popular among young children and many
varieties are marketed directly to them with beloved cartoon characters
and bright colors.
This bill would ban the entire class of PFAS chemicals from bandage
products used and sold in New York to protect consumers, parents, chil-
dren and healthcare practitioners from unknowingly exposing open wounds
to these dangerous chemicals.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

Statutes affected:
S7839: 71-3703 environmental conservation law