Majority of NYS Senate Co-Sponsors Child Safe Products Act - Time to Protect Kids' Health from Toxic Chemicals

ALBANY, N.Y., June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With four days left in the 2013 legislative session, children are closer to seeing toxic chemicals removed from their products.  Last Thursday, Senator Squadron became the 32nd Senator to co-sponsor the Child Safe Products Act (S.4614).  A majority of the Senate now backs the measure to safeguard children's health through stricter regulation of toxic chemicals.  The JustGreen Partnership, a coalition of disease prevention advocates, businesses, teachers, nurses, labor and environmental groups including Clean and Healthy New York, cheered the news.

The bill, introduced by Senator Phil Boyle (R, Bay Shore), addresses chemicals in children's products by requiring disclosure of their use and phasing them out over time.  "I am pleased that a majority of my colleagues agree that we need stricter regulations to ensure that our children's products are free of dangerous toxic chemicals," Senator Boyle said.  "The bottom line is that parents should be able to purchase products for their babies in New York State and be assured that they are safe."

Matching legislation, introduced by Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, passed the Assembly 111-30 in April, by a wider margin and with broader bipartisan support than last year.

Children are more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals covered under the Child Safe Products Act, which can cause cancer, learning and developmental disabilities, asthma, obesity, and infertility.  Thousands of children's products contain toxic chemicals like cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and cobalt.  Arsenic is added to children's underwear and cobalt to babies' pacifiers.

"As a parent and environmental health advocate, I applaud the majority of Senators who now back Senator Boyle's bill to protect children," said Kathleen A. Curtis, LPN, Executive Director of Clean and Healthy New York, co-leader of the JustGreen Partnership, and mother of four. "Now it is up to the Senate leadership – Senators Skelos and Klein.  Will they bring it to the floor this week?  New York's children are counting on them."   

The Child Safe Products Act establishes chemicals of concern, names priority chemicals, requires their disclosure in children's products, and, starting in 2018, phases them out.  The bill authorizes NYS to collect data through the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse, which streamlines reporting for manufacturers and reduces costs for participating states.

View the full release: http://www.just-green.org/2013/06/32-senators.html

Contact: Bobbi Chase Wilding 518-708-3875

SOURCE Clean and Healthy New York