Res. No. 505
Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign, S.4937/A.1906, in regard to requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to notify customers of bed bug infestations on subways, trains, and buses within 24-hours of discovery
By Council Members Narcisse and Louis
Whereas, Bed bugs are small parasitic insects that primarily feed on human blood and, in doing so, cause itchy bites that can irritate the skin of their human hosts; and
Whereas, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Department of Agriculture classify bed bugs as a public health pest that can negatively impact physical and mental health, including through allergic reactions, anxiety, insomnia, and secondary infections such as impetigo, ecthyma, and lymphangitis, as well as causing negative economic consequences; and
Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH”), bed bugs are common in New York City and in 2014, the most recent figure collected by DOHMH, there were 327,000 bed bug cases in the City that required an exterminator; and
Whereas, According to data listed by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development on the NYC Open Data portal, there were 3,264 bed bugs complaints filed to 311 in 2023; and
Whereas, Although bed bugs are most likely to live in places where people sleep, such as homes and hotels, bed bugs have been reported on MTA subway cars in the past, including cars on the N, 4, and 5 trains in 2014, and subsequent sightings have been anecdotally reported in the press although such sightings were not always publicly substantiated by the MTA; and
Whereas, Currently, the MTA does not notify its customers of bed bug infestations of MTA subways and buses; and
Whereas, S.4937, introduced by State Senator Leroy Comrie, and A.1906, introduced by State Assembly Member William Colton would amend the public authorities law to require that the MTA establish a system to notify customers of bed bug infestations on subways, trains, and buses, within 24-hours of discovery through the MTA’s webpage or by email or text message; and
Whereas, According to Assembly Member Colton, the MTA used to report bedbug incidents on their system for several years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that since the MTA has not resumed the reporting of incidences of bed bugs in the transit system, New Yorkers “don’t know how many instances there are”; and
Whereas, Requiring the MTA to notify customers of bed bug infestations on subways, trains, and buses within 24 hours of discovery could potentially promote awareness of infestations and slow the spread of bed bugs for the 15.3 million people who utilize MTA’s transportation network; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign, S.4937/A.1906, in regard to requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to notify customers of bed bug infestations on subways, trains, and buses within 24-hours of discovery.
JPB
LS # 23500
5/14/2026 10:50 AM