Proposed Int. No. 873-A
By Council Members Brewer, Barron, Comrie, Dickens, Eugene, Felder, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Liu, Nelson, Sears, Weprin, Vallone Jr., White Jr., Lappin, Avella, Arroyo, Vacca and Gentile
A Local. Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of health and mental hygiene to establish a bed bug technique training program for pest control.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-195 to read as follows:
§17-195 Bed bug techniques training program. a. The department shall establish a program to train exterminators in the proper techniques to eliminate bed bugs.
b. The department shall establish a program to train property owners in the proper techniques to eliminate bed bugs and to prevent the transfer and spread of any bed bug infestation.
c. Any training programs developed pursuant to this section shall include, but not be limited to, identification of bed bugs and understanding their life cycle, inspection procedures to identify infested areas and furnishings, techniques to prepare infested sites for containment and extermination, encasement methods, proper techniques for the moving and disposal of infested furnishings and materials and special considerations for multiple dwellings. Any training program should also provide instruction on which techniques and pesticides are inappropriate for bed bug elimination.
d. The department shall make available on its website information on bed bug awareness, infestation and control.
e. The department shall ensure that a toll-free hotline number, such as 311, shall be made available to the public for any person seeking to report an incidence of bed bug infestation or to request information on bed bugs.
f. A list of exterminators including the name and company of the exterminator trained pursuant to this section shall be made available to the public on the department’s website, upon request by calling 311 and upon request in person at department offices to be located in each of the five boroughs, as determined by the department.
§2. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment, provided, however, that the department of health and mental hygiene shall take any necessary actions to implement this law, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.
LS #6342
AS/MD
2/4/09