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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is proposing a legislation to protect consumers from unknown exposure to toxic chemicals that can cause diseases such as cancer.

In his remarks, Cuomo said his proposal will to protect New Yorkers from emerging health risks. According to him,  “The more we know about chemicals in water and food, the more frightening the situation is. There are 1,000 known carcinogens that are in products—that are used every day. We want to pass a Consumer Right to Know Act that labels those products that have those carcinogens.”

"Consumers have the right to know what is in the products they use. Requiring labeling on designated products will provide consumers with the information they deserve,” he added.

The Consumer Right to Know Act is part of the governor’s Executive Budget.

New York State agencies will establish on-package labeling requirements

Cuomo’s proposal will authorize New York State agencies to develop regulations establishing on-package labeling requirements for designated products indicating the presence of potentially hazardous chemicals.

Under the proposal, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of State (DOS) will assess the feasibility of on-package labeling.

The state agencies will then develop regulations establishing a labeling requirement for designated products.

Additionally, the state agencies will develop a list of more than 1,000 carcinogens and other dangerous chemicals that will trigger labeling. The state agencies will also identify the types of consumer products that will be subject to the new regulation.

Furthermore, the Consumer Right to Know Act will extend the DEC’s household cleaning product disclosure requirements to cover all cleaning products sold in the state.

Moreover, the proposed legislation will authorize the DOH to require similar disclosure to all manufacturers of personal care products.

In other words, all manufacturers are required to disclose the ingredient information of their cleaning products and personal care products on their websites and other publicly accessible databases.