Albany, New York – On March 1, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) announced that new laws went into effect that will protect children from harmful chemicals found in children’s products. Pheffer Amato currently serves as Chairs of the Subcommittee on Child Product Safety and has been at the forefront of fighting for increased protections of children's toys. The new laws allow the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to review and update the toxic chemicals database, increase reporting standards and frequency for companies who have used chemicals in products to the state, and prohibits the sale, effective January 1, 2023, of children's products containing certain dangerous chemicals including organohalogen flame retardants, tris, and asbestos, amongst other changes.

“As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Child Product Safety, protecting children from harmful chemicals found in toys they play with or anything they could interact with is my top priority, and these bills are a significant step forward,” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said. “New York parents work hard every day to give their kids a happy and healthy life, and they should be able to trust that the children’s products they buy are safe for their families. To keep dangerous items out of the hands of children and provide parents with peace of mind, the Assembly Majority passed laws, which are now in effect, that restrict the use of dangerous chemicals in products meant for children (Ch. 756 and 757 of 2019).”

The new laws are modeled after several other states which have adopted more comprehensive chemical policies including California, Washington and Maine.