Requires the commissioner of labor, in consultation with the commissioner of agriculture and markets, commissioner of health and the commissioner of environmental conservation, to develop instructional tools and materials for occupations at high-risk of tick exposures; requires such materials to provide information on the identification of ticks and tick removal, and protection from tick bites; requires such materials to be available to high-risk employers and employees at no charge.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8031A
SPONSOR: Barrett TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the commissioner
of labor to develop instructional tools and materials for occupations at
high-risk of tick exposures
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To develop instructional tools and materials for industries at high-risk
for occupational tick exposures to provide information on the identifi-
cation of ticks, provide best practices to provide protection from
ticks, and recommended procedures for safe tick removal.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 would add a new subdivision 17 to Section 21 of the Labor Law
to require the Department of Labor to develop instructional tools and
materials for industries at high-risk for occupational tick exposures.
Section 2 is the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
A print amendment makes clarifying changes and ensures the Department of
Labor works with the Department of Agriculture and Markets, who are
already required by statute to conduct public awareness campaigns
regarding Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
JUSTIFICATION:
According to the most recent reporting by the Center for Disease Control
(CDC), New York State has the highest number of confirmed cases of Lyme
Disease in the entire country. It is all too common for families to be
affected, or know someone who has been affected by Lyme, many of whom
never fully recover. While there is great debate throughout the medical
community regarding how best to treat Lyme, it is commonly accepted that
early education and prevention are key to controlling the spread of the
disease.
Certain occupations have a higher risk of exposure to ticks. This bill
would require the Commissioner of the Department of Labor, in consulta-
tion with the Commissioner of the Department of Health and the Commis-
sioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, to develop
instructional tools and materials for industries at high-risk for occu-
pational tick exposures. These materials will provide information on the
identification of ticks, best practices to provide protection from ticks
and recommended procedures for safe tick removal and be provided to
high-risk employers and employees upon request at no charge.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8031--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 22, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, McDONALD, TAPIA, GLICK, LUNSFORD, DAVI-
LA, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring the commissioner
of labor to develop instructional tools and materials for occupations
at high-risk of tick exposures
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 21 of the labor law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 17 to read as follows:
3 17. (a) Shall, in consultation with the commissioner of agriculture
4 and markets, the commissioner of health and the commissioner of environ-
5 mental conservation, develop instructional tools and materials for occu-
6 pations at high-risk of tick exposures. Such instructional tools and
7 materials shall complement the public awareness campaign established
8 pursuant to section sixteen-b of the agriculture and markets law and
9 provide specific information on the identification of ticks, best prac-
10 tices to provide protection from ticks, and recommended procedures for
11 safe tick removal.
12 (b) Occupations at high-risk of tick exposures shall include, but not
13 limited to,the following:
14 (i) farmers, farm workers, and other agricultural employees;
15 (ii) landscape workers;
16 (iii) forestry workers;
17 (iv) first responders;
18 (v) road crews; and
19 (vi) utility crews.
20 (c) Such instructional tools and materials may include, but need not
21 be limited to, video productions, pamphlets, and demonstration programs
22 to illustrate the various sizes of ticks before and after they have
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11580-04-6
A. 8031--A 2
1 engorged to assist with the identification of ticks and the reaction on
2 the skin, for a variety of skin tones, that may occur as a result of a
3 tick bite, and protection against tick bites.
4 (d) Such instructional tools and materials shall be made available to
5 high-risk employers and employees upon request at no charge and shall be
6 reviewed and updated annually.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
