In the most far-reaching effort thus far to help prevent thousands of head injuries and even death among children throughout the state, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo recently announced the introduction of legislation that will expand the bicycle helmet law and require all children under the age of 14 to wear a helmet while using a scooter.

"They're lightweight, fast, and the hottest means of transportation for kids today and increased emergency reports can prove it," said Fuschillo, member of the Senate Transportation Committee, about the scooters. "According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), throughout the nation last year there were more than 9,400 scooter injuries with more than 4,000 scooter injuries reported by emergency rooms in Aug., up from 500 in May. Most of those injuries were to kids under the age of 15 who fell off their scooters with 29 percent of their injuries to the head and face."

According to Fuschillo, his legislation would amend the current bicycle law to require all children under the age of 14 to wear a helmet when operating a scooter. The child's parent or legal guardian can face a fine of up to $50 if they are present at the time of the violation. First-time offenders will receive a warning. A court may waive the fine for a violation due to economic hardship or if proof is shown that a helmet was purchased between the time of the violation and the court appearance.

"This proposed legislation gives us an opportunity to take a proactive role in protecting our children," said Lucille Weinstein, MD, MPH, medical coordinator of Injury Prevention and Control at Winthrop-University Hospital. "As the weather warms, and children head outdoors to enjoy the scooters many of them received as holiday gifts, we can expect to see an increase in scooter-related injuries. Protective gear can prevent or reduce the severity of more than 60 percent of these injuries."

"Expanding the bicycle helmet law to include scooters is significantly important due to out of proportion hospitalizations for children who injure themselves on scooters," said James W. Reed, coordinator of the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board. "There have been more than 8,000 hospitalizations in the last nine months and head injuries are the leading cause of death to children."

Seeking to build on his commitment to promoting bio- and high-technology and boosting New York's computer literacy, Senator Fuschillo recently proposed the creation of a "sales tax-free PC week" to encourage the purchase and use of home computers.

According to Fuschillo, his proposal seeks a one-week waiver of the state and local sales tax on home computers, accessories and certain software during back-to-school shopping time in August as a way to entice individuals, families, and senior citizens to buy computers or replace outdated units. The goal is to bring a quarter million or more new computers into New Yorkers' homes, and lift the state's ranking among states for home computer use from its current 34th in the nation.

"Over the past decade, knowledge of computers and their use is now considered essential for anyone seeking to excel in an increasingly technology-based economy," Fuschillo said. "New York has been a national leader in bringing computers and Internet access into school classrooms, but recent studies showed students who also had computers at home were nine times more likely to use the technology."

According to Fuschillo, an October 2000 report by the US Commerce Dept. showed that New York lagged behind most states in the percentage of homes with computers. The study found that 48.7 percent of New York homes had computers, far behind states like Washington, California and neighboring New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont, which each scored in the top third of states.

"The 'digital dive' between New York and these other states puts us, our citizens and especially our children at a competitive disadvantage that government and schools cannot overcome without the help of parents and families in communities across the state," Fuschillo stated. "This initiative will help improve the technology-based education of our children and give New York a leading edge in the future."

Fuschillo's proposal, valued at $20 million, would provide a one-week exemption from state and local tax for purchases in-store or over the Internet of:

* complete computer units, including laptops, desktops, or tower personal computers. A complete unit comprises a minimum of a central processing unit (CPU), storage drive, random access memory, keyboard and display monitor;

* peripherals such as printers, scanners, extra memory cards, cables, modems and CD-ROM drivers, when purchased within the same transaction as a complete PC unit;

* software when purchased as part of the same transaction as a new PC.

Counties would receive reimbursement from the state for lost sales tax revenue under Fuschillo's plan. Expected retailer promotions and his initiative could save consumers hundreds of dollars on the purchase of new home computer equipment.

"Promoting high-technology knowledge, skill and opportunity is a top economic development priority," the senator said. "This proposal seeks to build on our high-tech accomplishments and make additional investments in New York's high-tech future." Last year, Pennsylvania pioneered the idea of a sales tax-free PC week, resulting in a threefold increase in computer sales by retailers in that state. New York would only be the second state to offer such a tax break.