NYS Legislation Introduced to Prevent Legionnaires' Disease in Wake of Recent Outbreaks and Cases

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the recent deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York, Senator Cordell Cleare (D-Harlem), Chair of the Senate Aging Committee, and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee, have introduced legislation that would implement necessary changes to enhance public health and water quality to prevent Legionnaires' disease, caused by the waterborne bacteria legionella, from source-to-tap.
The bill, A.9095/S.8499, provide a comprehensive approach to preventing future outbreaks and cases, along with the suffering and deaths they cause.

Individuals can contract Legionnaires' when water containing legionella is inhaled or aspirated. Legionella is commonly found in nature and plumbing systems and water-using equipment are seeded with the bacteria from the water distribution system. The plumbing systems of homes, facilities and other buildings, including showers, sinks, fountains, misters, hot tubs, pools, garden hoses, humidifiers and cooling towers, are all potential exposure points.

The current policies and regulations in New York State are insufficient to combat the spread of Legionnaires'. This summer, seven people died and 114 contracted Legionnaires' Disease in Central Harlem. Cases associated with a residential building's plumbing system have been reported in Parkchester, in the Bronx, and there has been a spike in cases across Westchester County in Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle.  New York State consistently ranks among the highest in Legionnaires' cases each year in the United States. 

"Individuals with compromised immune systems, respiratory illness like asthma, smokers and the elderly are more susceptible to Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia which can causes serious illness and death," said Senator Cleare. "Black and brown communities are often hit the hardest and we must take a proactive approach to protect public health and reduce the incidence of Legionnaires' disease through comprehensive regulation, increased transparency and public education."

"Through robust monitoring and increased awareness, we can spare families the heartache of losing loved ones to this deadly disease," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. "Legionnaires' cases have appeared around the state, indicating the need for better monitoring and management of our water quality and building water systems and more thorough investigations when outbreaks occur. Passing this commonsense legislation will save lives."

Key components of the bill include:

1. Water Treatment and Management: Public water system operators are required to maintain specific levels of disinfectant residuals (at least 0.5 mg/L of free chlorine) and regular monitoring of water quality.
2. Public Notification: Water system operators must notify water users (facilities and consumers) of any planned or unplanned disruption events that could increase legionella bacteria levels, providing details about potential risks and measures to mitigate exposure.
3. Building Water Management Plans: Owners of buildings must implement water management programs to minimize risk of legionella in premise plumbing systems and water-using equipment, in line with established national standards by ASHRAE and the CDC.
4. Case Investigation: The bill calls for comprehensive investigations of all reported cases of Legionnaires' disease, including testing water sources in affected individuals' residences and workplaces.
5. Public Awareness Campaign: The bill requires the development of a public education campaign to inform the public about legionella risks, prevention methods, and signs/ symptoms associated with the disease.
6. Annual Reporting: An annual report will be submitted to the governor and legislature summarizing Legionnaires' disease cases, violations, and recommendations for further action.
7. Fund Creation: The bill establishes a Legionnaires' disease prevention fund for collecting fines related to violations, which will support public awareness efforts.

"My children and I know firsthand what it is to experience tragic loss due to Legionnaires' disease.  My husband, Kevin was being treated for cancer in New York City in 2017 and contracted Legionnaires' disease.  While his cancer treatment was going well, Legionnaires' is what led to his death at the age of 47.  I pledged to work tirelessly to see that other families do not have to go through what mine has, and yet we saw another large-scale outbreak in New York City this summer and cases continue to increase.  What I want government leaders and the public to know is that disease is preventable but requires proper water quality management at all points in our community drinking water system from treatment plant to plumbing taps," said Gwen Hanlon, victim's advocate who passed a Legionnaires' disease prevention law in her home state of New Jersey in 2024, with the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires' Disease.

The legislation not only will help prevent outbreaks but will also address individual and sporadic cases. The CDC reports that there are more than 8,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease reported annually in the US, with individual cases comprising 96% and outbreaks accounting for 4%. In New York, there are several hundred cases per year, ranking among the highest rates in the country. One in ten individuals who contract Legionnaires' disease will die from it and the fatality rate is higher among more susceptible populations. 

The approach taken in this legislation is supported by national environmental activist, Erin Brockovich consistent with her call to action for New York in a recent Op-ed published in the New York Daily News:
"We need to move from reaction to prevention, and that means covering the whole water system from source to tap." New Jersey recently passed a law to require water management programs for both water utilities and buildings, stronger investigations, public education, and case tracking. Illinois has similar rules to mitigate risks upstream… [and] the NYS Department of Health has issued a guide to reduce risk of exposure to Legionella bacteria at home and I couldn't agree more that the public deserves far greater education, awareness and transparency related to this disease and the waterborne bacteria that causes it."       

SOURCE Prevent Legionnaires'