Bill Text: NY A08570 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to energy conservation and water temperature management; requires a study to be performed on the monetary and energy savings that can be accomplished through better water temperature management.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-12-15 - enacting clause stricken [A08570 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A08570-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          8570
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                      July 10, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. KAVANAGH, BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Energy
        AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, the energy law,  the  execu-
          tive law, the multiple dwelling law and the multiple residence law, in
          relation  to energy conservation and water temperature management; and
          to amend the general municipal  law,  in  relation  to  minimum  water
          temperatures
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "energy
     2  conservation and water temperature management act".
     3    §  2.    The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section
     4  1874 to read as follows:
     5    § 1874. Energy conservation through water temperature  management.  1.
     6  The  authority shall cause a study to be performed on the savings gener-
     7  ated by better management of water temperature in public  buildings  and
     8  facilities,  multiple dwellings, and tenant-occupied one-family and two-
     9  family dwellings throughout the state.
    10    2. The authority shall submit a report of its findings to  the  gover-
    11  nor,  the  temporary  president  of  the  senate, and the speaker of the
    12  assembly by April thirtieth, two thousand eighteen.   The  report  shall
    13  include:
    14    (a)  A  proposal  for standards and designs for energy efficient water
    15  temperature control devices  for  residences,  multiple  dwellings,  and
    16  public buildings and facilities;
    17    (b)  An  analysis of empirical data and statistics regarding the mone-
    18  tary costs and savings, the energy conservation, and  the  environmental
    19  benefit offered through better management of water temperatures; and
    20    (c)  Any  proposed legislation or suggested changes to the current law
    21  that would assist public entities and private citizens to conserve ener-
    22  gy and save money through better management of water temperatures.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02727-01-7

        A. 8570                             2
     1    § 3. The energy law is amended by adding a new article 19 to  read  as
     2  follows:
     3                                 ARTICLE 19
     4            ENERGY CONSERVATION AND WATER TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT
     5  Section 19-101. Energy conservation in public buildings and facilities.
     6    §  19-101. Energy conservation in public buildings and facilities.  1.
     7  No bathtub, shower, washbasin or sink in any public building or facility
     8  shall emit water having a temperature in excess of  one  hundred  twenty
     9  degrees Fahrenheit.
    10    2.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
    11  contrary, any municipality or other public entity who, pursuant to  this
    12  subdivision,  installs  a water temperature control device as defined in
    13  paragraph e of subdivision seventeen of section three  hundred  seventy-
    14  eight of the executive law shall not be:
    15    (a)  responsible to any person for injuries caused solely by the fail-
    16  ure of such device to operate properly if such failure results from  the
    17  device  being  tampered  with  or  rendered inoperable by any invitee or
    18  licensee in such building or facility; or
    19    (b) responsible to any person or subject to penalty of law for failure
    20  to deliver hot water continuously or at any minimum temperature required
    21  by any law, rule or regulation solely by reason of the proper  operation
    22  of the water temperature control device.
    23    §  4.  Section  378  of  the  executive law is amended by adding a new
    24  subdivision 17 to read as follows:
    25    17. Water temperature management standards.  a.  No  bathtub,  shower,
    26  washbasin  or  sink  in  any  dwelling  unit  in  a multiple dwelling or
    27  tenant-occupied one-family  or  two-family  dwelling  shall  emit  water
    28  having a temperature in excess of one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit.
    29    b. Any owner of a dwelling found to emit water that exceeds the stand-
    30  ard  of this subdivision shall be in violation of this section and shall
    31  be liable for a fine.
    32    (i) If the  water  temperature  exceeds  one  hundred  twenty  degrees
    33  Fahrenheit  but  does  not exceed one hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit,
    34  the fine shall be two hundred fifty dollars for the first violation  and
    35  five hundred dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    36    (ii)  If  the  water  temperature  exceeds  one hundred thirty degrees
    37  Fahrenheit but does not exceed one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit, the
    38  fine shall be five hundred dollars for the first violation and one thou-
    39  sand dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    40    (iii) If the water  temperature  exceeds  one  hundred  forty  degrees
    41  Fahrenheit,  the  fine  shall  be  one  thousand  dollars  for the first
    42  violation and two thousand dollars for the  second  and  any  subsequent
    43  violation.
    44    c.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
    45  contrary, any owner of a dwelling who,  pursuant  to  this  subdivision,
    46  installs a water temperature control device as defined in paragraph e of
    47  this subdivision shall not be:
    48    (i)  responsible to any person for injuries caused solely by the fail-
    49  ure of such device to operate properly if such failure results from  the
    50  device  being  tampered  with  or  rendered inoperable by any invitee or
    51  licensee in such building or facility; or
    52    (ii) responsible to any person or subject to penalty of law for  fail-
    53  ure  to  deliver  hot  water  continuously or at any minimum temperature
    54  required by any law, rule or regulation solely by reason of  the  proper
    55  operation of the water temperature control device.

        A. 8570                             3
     1    d.  Installation of an anti-scald device, or any work necessary to the
     2  installation of such device to comply with this section, shall not qual-
     3  ify for a rent increase under any provision of law implemented to  regu-
     4  late such rents.
     5    e.  For  purposes  of this section, a water temperature control device
     6  shall mean an anti-scald device or  other  device  that  prevents  water
     7  emitted  by a bathtub, shower, washbasin, or sink from exceeding a maxi-
     8  mum temperature set by the device, where such device meets the  accepted
     9  national  standard  plumbing  codes  of  the Building Officials and Code
    10  Administration, Inc. (BOCA), the International Association  of  Plumbing
    11  and  Mechanical  Officials  (IAPMO), the Southern Building Code Congress
    12  International (SBCCI), or the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC).
    13    § 5. The multiple dwelling law is amended by adding a new section 75-a
    14  to read as follows:
    15    § 75-a. Water temperature management standards. 1. No bathtub, shower,
    16  washbasin or sink in  any  dwelling  unit  in  a  multiple  dwelling  or
    17  tenant-occupied  one-family  or  two-family  dwelling  shall  emit water
    18  having a temperature in excess of one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit.
    19    2. Any owner of a dwelling found to emit water that exceeds the stand-
    20  ard in paragraph b of this subdivision shall be  in  violation  of  this
    21  section and shall be liable for a fine.
    22    a. If the water temperature exceeds one hundred twenty degrees Fahren-
    23  heit but does not exceed one hundred thirty degrees Fahrenheit, the fine
    24  shall  be  two  hundred  fifty  dollars for the first violation and five
    25  hundred dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    26    b. If the water temperature exceeds one hundred thirty degrees Fahren-
    27  heit but does not exceed one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit, the  fine
    28  shall  be  five hundred dollars for the first violation and one thousand
    29  dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    30    c. If the water temperature exceeds one hundred forty degrees  Fahren-
    31  heit, the fine shall be one thousand dollars for the first violation and
    32  two thousand dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    33    3.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
    34  contrary, any owner of a dwelling who,  pursuant  to  this  subdivision,
    35  installs a water temperature control device as defined in paragraph e of
    36  subdivision  seventeen  of  section  three  hundred seventy-eight of the
    37  executive law shall not be:
    38    a. responsible to any person for injuries caused solely by the failure
    39  of such device to operate properly if  such  failure  results  from  the
    40  device  being  tampered  with  or  rendered inoperable by any invitee or
    41  licensee in such building or facility; or
    42    b. responsible to any  person or subject to penalty of law for failure
    43  to deliver hot water continuously or at any minimum temperature required
    44  by any law, rule or regulation solely by reason of the proper  operation
    45  of the water temperature control device.
    46    4.  Installation  of  a  water temperature control device, or any work
    47  necessary to the  installation  of  such  device  to  comply  with  this
    48  section,  shall  not  qualify for a rent increase under any provision of
    49  law implemented to regulate such rents.
    50    § 6. The multiple residence law is amended by adding a new section  16
    51  to read as follows:
    52    §  16. Water temperature management standards.  1. No bathtub, shower,
    53  washbasin or sink in  any  dwelling  unit  in  a  multiple  dwelling  or
    54  tenant-occupied  one-family  or  two-family  dwelling  shall  emit water
    55  having a temperature in excess of one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit.

        A. 8570                             4
     1    2. Any owner of a dwelling found to emit water that exceeds the stand-
     2  ard in paragraph (b) of this subdivision shall be in violation  of  this
     3  section and shall be liable for a fine.
     4    (a)  If  the  water  temperature  exceeds  one  hundred twenty degrees
     5  Fahrenheit but does not exceed one hundred  thirty  degrees  Fahrenheit,
     6  the  fine shall be two hundred fifty dollars for the first violation and
     7  five hundred dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
     8    (b) If the  water  temperature  exceeds  one  hundred  thirty  degrees
     9  Fahrenheit but does not exceed one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit, the
    10  fine shall be five hundred dollars for the first violation and one thou-
    11  sand dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    12    (c) If the water temperature exceeds one hundred forty degrees Fahren-
    13  heit, the fine shall be one thousand dollars for the first violation and
    14  two thousand dollars for the second and any subsequent violation.
    15    3.  Notwithstanding  any  provision  of law, rule or regulation to the
    16  contrary, any owner of a dwelling who,  pursuant  to  this  subdivision,
    17  installs a water temperature control device as defined in paragraph e of
    18  subdivision  seventeen  of  section  three  hundred seventy-eight of the
    19  executive law shall not be:
    20    (a) responsible to any person for injuries caused solely by the  fail-
    21  ure  of such device to operate properly if such failure results from the
    22  device being tampered with or rendered  inoperable  by  any  invitee  or
    23  licensee in such building or facility; or
    24    (b) responsible to any person or subject to penalty of law for failure
    25  to deliver hot water continuously or at any minimum temperature required
    26  by  any law, rule or regulation solely by reason of the proper operation
    27  of the water temperature control device.
    28    4. Installation of a water temperature control  device,  or  any  work
    29  necessary  to  the  installation  of  such  device  to  comply with this
    30  section, shall not qualify for a rent increase under  any  provision  of
    31  law implemented to regulate such rents.
    32    §  7. The general municipal law is amended by adding a new section 137
    33  to read as follows:
    34    § 137. Minimum temperature for tap water. If any municipal corporation
    35  enacts a local law, rule, ordinance, or regulation relating to the mini-
    36  mum temperature of tap water supplied to a public building  or  facility
    37  or a residence, the municipal corporation shall ensure that such minimum
    38  temperature is no higher than one hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit.
    39    § 8. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    40  it shall have become a law.
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