Bill Text: NY A00034 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that the thruway authority shall issue permits for ambulances and fire vehicles exempting such vehicles from paying tolls on the thruway when engaged in an emergency operation.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 30-16)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-28 - reported referred to ways and means [A00034 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A00034-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           34

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS, LUPARDO, BUTTENSCHON, SHIMSKY, LEVENBERG,
          SIMON,  OTIS, LUNSFORD, DE LOS SANTOS, ZACCARO, JACOBSON, BLANKENBUSH,
          GALLAHAN, TAGUE, BRABENEC, MAHER, DeSTEFANO, ANGELINO, BERGER, PAULIN,
          WILLIAMS, BLUMENCRANZ, REYES, GANDOLFO,  BEEPHAN,  MANKTELOW,  JENSEN,
          GIBBS,  SEAWRIGHT,  LUCAS,  SIMPSON,  SANTABARBARA,  TAYLOR, LEMONDES,
          STIRPE, BARRETT, COOK, SAYEGH, WOERNER,  WALSH,  COLTON,  EICHENSTEIN,
          KELLES,  STECK  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on Corpo-
          rations, Authorities and Commissions

        AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the  issuance
          of permits to exempt ambulances and fire vehicles from paying tolls on
          the New York state thruway when engaged in an emergency operation

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 378-a of  the  public  authorities
     2  law,  as  added by chapter 23 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
     3  follows:
     4    1. The authority is hereby authorized and directed to  [issue  refunds
     5  for tolls incurred by ambulances or fire vehicles engaged in an emergen-
     6  cy  operation,  or,  at the option of the authority, to] issue emergency
     7  services permits for use by ambulances and  fire  vehicles  which  shall
     8  provide  for travel at no charge between interchanges and barriers while
     9  such vehicles are engaged in an emergency operation, provided  that  the
    10  authority is authorized and directed to issue refunds for tolls incurred
    11  by  such  ambulances and fire vehicles engaged in an emergency operation
    12  while the applicable application for emergency services permits is pend-
    13  ing.  The authority shall promulgate rules and regulations  establishing
    14  the  process  by  which  such ambulances and fire vehicles can apply for
    15  emergency services permits. For  purposes  of  this  section,  the  term
    16  "ambulance"  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as such term is defined by
    17  section one hundred-b of the vehicle and traffic  law,  the  term  "fire

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00222-01-5
        A. 34                               2

     1  vehicle"  shall have the same meaning as such term is defined by section
     2  one hundred fifteen-a of the vehicle  and  traffic  law,  and  the  term
     3  "emergency  operation"  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as such term is
     4  defined  by  section  one  hundred fourteen-b of the vehicle and traffic
     5  law. In any rules and regulations promulgated for the implementation  of
     6  this  section,  the authority may establish the type of documentation or
     7  other proof satisfactory to the authority  that  an  ambulance  or  fire
     8  vehicle  was  engaged  in  an emergency operation at the time a toll was
     9  incurred.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.