New York Senate Bill S06816

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25

Caption

Relates to the definition of portable temporary shelters for the purposes of prohibitions on the manufacture or sale of products containing highly flammable materials.

Summary

This bill, titled the "No Toxics Tent Act," amends the General Business Law definition of "portable temporary shelter" for purposes of New York’s restrictions on the manufacture and sale of products containing highly flammable materials. It expands the definition to expressly include tents and certain related shelter products such as fold-out or pop-up camping tents, tent trailers, recreational vehicle awnings or add-on rooms, and screen houses, so long as they are made in whole or in part of fabric or related material and are places where fifteen or more people may gather. The bill also creates an exemption for tents designed or manufactured for children’s play, camping, backpacking, or mountaineering, provided those tents are made entirely from synthetic-fiber fabric. The measure takes effect immediately and is aimed at clarifying which shelter products fall within the state’s product-safety rules governing flammable materials.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would broaden the scope of existing state consumer protection and product safety law by bringing more tent-like and fabric shelter products under the definition of "portable temporary shelter." That would affect manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of large tents and similar shelter products by subjecting them to the state’s restrictions on highly flammable materials, while preserving an exemption for certain synthetic-fiber recreational and children’s tents. The bill does not create a new regulatory scheme, but it refines the statutory coverage of an existing one.

Sentiment

The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to committee, but there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials. As a result, there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from floor debate or committee discussion. Based on the text, the bill appears to be a consumer-safety measure focused on fire prevention and product standards.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the breadth of the expanded definition of "portable temporary shelter," especially the inclusion of tents, tent trailers, RV awnings, add-on rooms, and screen houses used for gatherings of fifteen or more people. Manufacturers and sellers of these products could view the bill as expanding compliance obligations or creating uncertainty about which products are covered. The exemption for children’s play, camping, backpacking, and mountaineering tents made entirely of synthetic fibers may also be a point of discussion, because it narrows the bill’s reach while leaving other fabric-based shelters subject to regulation.