NEW YORK, NY January 04, 2009 —Advocates calling on the city to wage war against bed bugs hope 2009 will be the year they get legislative – and dermatological – relief. WNYC’s Fred Mogul has more.

REPORTER: Late last year, 14 city council members released a bill calling on the City Health Department to create a bed bug control training program for pest control providers and property owners. The legislation also would have the department make bed bug information available on its website and establish a bed bug toll-free hotline, to report infestations and request control information. A New York City Health Department spokeswoman says that while bed bugs are a stressful and unpleasant nuisance, they do not present a health risk or spread disease. She notes that the department does, in fact, have a web page and that the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development takes complaints, performs inspections and issues violation summonses when appropriate.