New York's Bedbug Bill

On June 8, The Wall Street Journal reported in their Metropolis blog (link) that there was a bedbug bill in Albany, sposored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, that was soon to become law. According to the report, the bill would force landlord to disclose if there were bedbugs in an apartment (and the building it is in) for the last year, before a new tenant moves in.

An explanation from a Facebook page about the legislation (link) states that the bill is "intended to combat the growing epidemic of bedbugs in New York, which have caused tremendous anguish, anxiety and financial hardship for residents across the socio-economic spectrum." There's a great quote there, about bedbugs, from the Assemblywoman: "“As the scourge of bedbugs continues in New York, I am committed to giving my constituents the tools to protect themselves both epidemiologically and financially from this plague.”

Yesterday, the bedblug blog, bedbugger.com reported that a different bedbug bill, S7316b (link), was passed by the NY State Senate on June 15th. This bill, sponsored by Senator José Peralta (D-Queens) (originally sponsored by Assembly Member Nelson Castro (District 86)) is dubbed the "mattress bill." It deals with resellers and wholesalers of mattresses and how they should sanitize them before selling them to the public.

The blogger states his problems with the bill, stating:

"My problem with this bill is that I lack confidence in the department of health: will they really require mattress refurbishers to use a treatment method that will absolutely and without a doubt kill all bed bugs and eggs present?"

Critics of the bill think it let's the resellers off too easy by letting them "sanitize" the mattresses or just put slips on them, but don't do enough to destroy the blood-sucking critters. Here's hoping Assemblywoman Rosenthal's bill has less holes in it.