Bill > S01980

This bill amends the New York General Business Law to include machetes in an existing statute that prohibits selling or promoting certain cutting tools to minors. Specifically, the bill defines a machete as a large heavy knife with a broad blade primarily used for cutting brush or vegetation, and makes it illegal for any person, firm, or corporation to sell or give away a machete to anyone under 18 years old. The law includes an exception that allows temporary transfer of a machete to a minor by an employer, but only when the tool is used on the employer's premises during work hours. Violators of this provision can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $500. The bill also preserves local governments' ability to create additional regulations about machete sales, as long as those regulations do not conflict with the state law. The act takes effect immediately upon passage, expanding existing protections that already applied to utility knives, box cutters, and similar tools to now include machetes.

Business and Industry

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1980