Legislation that would require the MTA to notify the public about bed bug infestations discovered on its trains and buses that was sponsored by Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) has been approved by the New York State Assembly.

The bill (A1906) mandates that the MTA develop a mechanism for alerting riders of the issue within 24 hours of discovery, via postings on its website and/or by sending alerts to those riders’ emails and cellphone numbers that the MTA has in its system.

“The scourge of bed bugs is a real issue in New York City,” said Assemblyman Colton. “Setting up a notification system for the public transit that so many people rely upon – and where infestations have occurred in the past – is a way of helping to check the spread of these parasites, which can be incredibly difficult to get rid of once they have established themselves.”

And, Assemblyman Colton warns, it only takes a single bed bug hitching a ride on a bag or piece of clothing to bring the infestation home. While the pests are not believed to cause disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, they feed off human blood and can cause red, itchy welts, often in clusters.

In 2014, according to the city’s Department of Health, there were some 325,000 cases of bed bugs reported across the city, with 125,000 reported in Brooklyn. According to pest control company Orkin, in 2024, New York City ranked second in the nation in the number of bed bug infestations based on the number of treatments the company performed in the five boroughs.

The bill is currently under consideration in the State Senate’s Transportation Committee (S4937).