Requiring a public education campaign on how to prevent unsolicited advertising on private property.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Sanitation to conduct a public education campaign on section 397-a of the General Business Law, which prohibits unsolicited advertising on private property if conditions are met by the property owner. The Commissioner would have to educate the public on actions prohibited by the section and exceptions to it, authorizations and requirements for property owners under the section, specifications under the section for the design and content of signs, civil penalties imposed on violators of the section, and administrative processes concerning reporting and adjudication of violations of the section. The bill would also require the Commissioner to post sample signs meeting the section’s requirements on the Department of Sanitation’s website for download and printing by the public. If the section is ever repealed, the Commissioner would have to conduct a public education campaign on any New York State or local law or regulation intended for the same purpose.