BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation banning price gouging of personal protective equipment.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been countless instances of price gouging, particularly of critical medical supplies like masks and hand sanitizer.
These supplies are desperately needed by hospitals and other health care facilities.
This legislation is designed to make sure that healthcare workers and the general public have access to these critical supplies.
Governor Cuomo said, "From the beginning of this pandemic we've seen too many instances of retailers taking advantage of this dire situation and charging exorbitant prices for critical medical supplies.
By banning price gouging on personal protective equipment, we are helping to ensure our health care workers - who have been working tirelessly to save lives at great personal danger to themselves - and the public have access to these supplies, while holding these unscrupulous retailers accountable for attempting to capitalize on the fear of others."
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "New Yorkers can rest assured that our office will fight every day to ensure they are not taken advantage of during the coronavirus pandemic or any other emergency our state may face in the future.
Since this pandemic began, we have received over 7,000 price gouging complaints related to COVID-19 and gone after the bad actors behind these unlawful acts, but today's law will vastly expand our efforts to protect New Yorkers' wallets, as well as the bottom lines of small businesses and taxpayer dollars.
We are focused on protecting all New Yorkers now and in the future.
We applaud Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law, and Senator Hoylman and Assemblywoman Rozic for their support and partnership in passing this important legislation so that our office can continue its work protecting New Yorkers."
