BILL NUMBER: S9050A
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to motor
fuel pollution and health impact labelling requirements
 
PURPOSE:
Require all gasoline retailers to provide clear labeling of the environ-
mental and health hazards associated with motor fuel for consumer aware-
ness.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds section 192-d to the agriculture and markets law. The
bill shall require that all motor fuel retailers display and maintain a
prominent label in both English and Spanish at the point of fuel
dispensing, stating: "USE OF THIS PRODUCT RELEASES AIR POLLUTANTS AND
GREENHOUSE GASES, KNOWN BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO BE LINKED TO SIGNIF-
ICANT HEALTH IMPACTS AND GLOBAL HEATING"
Section 2 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Informational labels on gas pumps can increase consumers' awareness of
the link between fossil fuels, air pollution, and climate change.
Labeling at the pump can encourage more efficient and sustainable
consumer behaviors while incentivizing retailers to reduce harmful envi-
ronmental or health impacts in order to avoid negative labels. Labeling
doesn't just inform; it can change supply, encouraging cleaner fuels or
alternative technologies. Similar laws, like chemical disclosure or
warning requirements (e.g. California's Proposition 65), have driven
companies to reformulate products to avoid the negative labels. 1 A 2021
NIH report found that "warming labels may activate extant climate
concern nouns and shift public opinion toward long term support of
sustainable transportation emissions policies and practices." 2
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law.
Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
tive date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
effective date.
1 https://wvvw.washingtonpost.corn/climate-solutions/ 2025/02/12/
prop-65-california-toxic-chemicals/?utm_source
2 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ articles/PMC8495559/