Prohibits the sale of infant inclined sleepers; restricts the use of such inclined sleepers in certain settings.
Summary
This bill would add a new section to New York’s General Business Law to prohibit the sale, lease, offer for sale, or offer for lease of infant inclined sleepers by manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and secondhand dealers in the state. It defines an infant inclined sleeper as a free-standing product with an inclined sleep surface marketed for infant sleep, generally for babies up to five months old or until they begin rolling over or pulling up.
The bill also restricts the use of infant inclined sleepers in child care facilities. On and after the effective date, child care facilities could not use or keep such sleepers on the premises unless a medical professional has determined they are medically necessary for a particular child. The Office of Children and Family Services, in consultation with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, would be required to notify child care facilities of the new rules in plain language and adopt regulations to implement the ban in child care settings.
Impact
The bill would create a new consumer protection and child safety restriction in state law, directly regulating the sale and distribution of infant inclined sleepers and adding operational limits for child care facilities. It would also authorize the Attorney General to seek injunctions, restitution, and civil penalties of up to $500 per violation, with each unlawful sale treated as a separate violation. The measure would require state agencies to provide notice and promulgate regulations, and it would take effect 60 days after becoming law.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a child safety and consumer protection bill with a generally protective policy intent. The caption and structure suggest support for restricting products associated with infant safety concerns, and the bill is written in mandatory terms rather than as a study or pilot program. No contrary positions are documented in the provided materials.
Contention
No committee transcript or voting history is provided, so no specific points of contention are recorded. Potential areas of debate implied by the text include the scope of the sales ban, the inclusion of secondhand dealers and all commercial sellers, the exception for medically necessary use in child care facilities, and the enforcement mechanism and civil penalty structure. The bill also places implementation responsibilities on child care regulators and local health authorities, which could raise administrative concerns, but none are documented in the supplied materials.
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