BILL NUMBER: S8472
SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to requiring biannual certification of cooling towers
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to protect seniors, individuals and families
from bacterial outbreaks, such as legionnaires, that start within and
are spread via cooling towers.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the administrative code of the city of New York to:
Require biannual certification of cooling towers Require weekly testing
and inspection Require owners of towers to remediate situations in 12-24
hours Increase fines for violations Extend reporting requirements so
patterns can be tracked
 
JUSTIFICATION:
As of August 6th, 2025 3 people have died and 70 have been seriously
harmed by an outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in Harlem, that originated
in Cooling Towers, which it is predisposed to do. Given the number of
outbreaks over the years, further regulations and inspections are
warranted. This legislation takes five meaningful measures to stop the
spread and instance of Legionnaires.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Minimal.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.