Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. has announced that his bill to require school busses to operate with illuminated headlights and taillights at all times, passed the Senate and Assembly and was signed into law by Governor George Pataki.

According to Fuschillo, currently, school bus headlights need only be on when the bus is transporting passengers. Problems arise when the drivers turn the lights off when no longer transporting passengers and then forget to turn them back on when they resume transporting passengers. "If drivers leave the lights on whenever the bus is in operation, this problem will be effectively eliminated," Fuschillo said.

"When it comes to our children's safety, it is incumbent upon the state to continue to enact laws to protect our children while in transit to and from school," Fuschillo concluded. "Requiring busses to drive with their headlights on at all times is a simple way to help avoid accidents and potential tragedies."

Fuschillo, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Children and Families, has been commended by his colleagues for introducing progressive school bus legislation that substantially protect children including a bill that will require mandatory background checks on school bus attendants.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. has announced that his legislation was signed into law by Governor Pataki and will ensure that consumers who use water coolers with hot water dispensers know of the availability of safety devices to reduce the risk of children being burned by the hot water.

"The instant hot water feature found on certain water coolers is a convenience to adults, but at the same time poses a risk of burn injury to children," said Fuschillo who is Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Consumer Protection. "Safety devices which increase the child's resistance of the hot water dispenser are available. However, many consumers are not made aware of this option. Providing notices to consumers of the availability of safety devices and supplying the devices to consumers upon request, at no charge, will permit parents and other consumers to protect children from the risk of scalding burns."

According to Fuschillo, this new law directs that written notice of the availability of child safety devices be provided to consumers upon the sale, lease, or rental of a non plumbed water cooler which dispenses hot water. Upon customer request, such safety devices shall be promptly provided at no charge.

"These safety devices do not inconvenience adult users of water dispensers, but they do provide protection for children so they are not accidentally scalded by hot water," Fuschillo said. "By increasing public awareness about the safety devices we can prevent these types of accidents."

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District - Merrick), Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Consumer Protection, announced today that his legislation to protect senior citizens from telemarketer scam artists who send couriers to pick up money from their victims, has been signed into law by Governor George Pataki.

According to Senator Fuschillo, a victim who is usually a senior citizen, is contacted by an unscrupulous con-artist telemarketer by telephone and promised a prize or a chance of winning a prize. However, in order to be eligible, the victim is advised that they must pay a cash deposit prior to receiving the prize. Many scam artists tell their victims that a courier is required to retrieve the deposit because payments made by mail would not be received in time. "Before the victim has time to realize the call was a scam, a courier is usually at the victim's door within minutes of the call to collect the money," Senator Fuschillo said. "End result...no prize and a potential loss of thousands of dollars."

"This new law, now prohibits any company which is not legitimately certified to conduct business in New York State from sending an employee to a consumer's home to pick up any payments or deposits," Senator Fuschillo said. "Telemarketer fraud is a $40 billion problem across the country. This new law is part of my continuing efforts to put an end to con-artists who choose to profit through lies and deceit and will potentially save seniors and others across the state millions of dollars."