Section 396-K. Hazardous toys and other articles intended primarily for use by children; prohibition and enforcement  


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  • 1.  No  person,  firm,
      corporation,  association  or  agent  or  employee thereof shall import,
      manufacture, sell, hold for sale or distribute a toy  or  other  article
      intended  for use by a child which presents an electrical, mechanical or
      thermal  hazard.  The  following  definitions  are  applicable  to  this
      section:
        (a) "Child" means any person less than fourteen years of age;
        (b) A toy or other article presents an electrical hazard if, in normal
      use  or  when  subjected  to reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse, its
      design or manufacture may cause personal injury or illness by electrical
      shock or electrocution;
        (c) A toy or other article presents a mechanical hazard if, in  normal
      use  or  when  subjected  to reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse, its
      design or manufacture presents an unreasonable risk of  personal  injury
      or illness:
        (1) from fracture, fragmentation or disassembly of the article;
        (2) from propulsion of the article or any part or accessory thereof;
        (3)  from  points  or  other protrusions, surfaces, edges, openings or
      closures;
        (4) from moving parts;
        (5) from lack or insufficiency of controls to reduce or stop motion;
        (6) as a result of self-adhering characteristics of the article;
        (7) because the article or  any  part  or  accessory  thereof  may  be
      aspirated or ingested;
        (8) because of instability;
        (9)  from  stuffing material which is not free of dangerous or harmful
      substances; or
        (10)  because  of  any  other  aspect  of  the  article's  design   or
      manufacture.
        (d) A toy or other article presents a thermal hazard if, in normal use
      or  when subjected to reasonably foreseeable damage or abuse, its design
      or manufacture presents an  unreasonable  risk  to  personal  injury  or
      illness because of heat as from heated parts, substances or surfaces.
        2.   Whenever   the  attorney  general  shall  believe  from  evidence
      satisfactory to him that any person, firm, corporation or association or
      agent or employee thereof has violated any provision of this section, he
      may bring an action in the supreme court of the state of New York for  a
      judgment  enjoining  the  continuance  of such violation and for a civil
      penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation, except
      that the court may impose a civil penalty of not more than four thousand
      dollars if the violation is knowing and willful. If it shall  appear  to
      the satisfaction of the court or justice that the defendant has violated
      any  provision  of  this  section,  no  proof shall be required that any
      person has been injured thereby nor  that  the  defendant  knowingly  or
      intentionally violated such provision. In such action preliminary relief
      may  be  granted under article sixty-three of the civil practice law and
      rules.
        3. Before any violation of this section is sought to be enjoined,  the
      attorney  general shall be required to give the person against whom such
      proceeding is contemplated notice by certified mail and  an  opportunity
      to show in writing within five business days after receipt of notice why
      proceedings  should  not  be instituted against him, unless the attorney
      general shall find, in any case in which he  seeks  preliminary  relief,
      that to give such notice and opportunity is not in the public interest.
        4.  In  any such action it shall be a complete defense that the toy or
      other article sought to be enjoined either complies with, or  is  exempt
      under,  the  federal  "Child  Protection and Toy Safety Act of 1969", as
    
      amended, or the federal "Consumer Product Safety Act",  as  amended,  or
      any  regulation  or  exemption promulgated under either act or any other
      applicable federal law. In the case of children's sleepware, it shall be
      a  complete defense that the article sought to be enjoined complies with
      any enforcement policy  formally  issued  by  a  federal  agency  having
      enforcement authority with respect thereto.
        5.  In  connection  with  any  such proposed application, the attorney
      general is authorized to take  proof,  issue  subpoenas  and  administer
      oaths in the manner provided in the civil practice law and rules.
        6. If any provisions of this chapter or the application thereof to any
      person  or circumstances is held unconstitutional, such invalidity shall
      not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter which can be
      given effect without the invalid provision or application, and  to  this
      end the provisions of this chapter are severable.
        * NB There are 2 § 396-k's