Bill Text: NY A03856 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Requires the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority to reimburse certain individuals from transit deserts when they travel into the central business district who need medical treatment or are providing religious services; provides that such reimbursement shall be one hundred percent of all associated fees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-30 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [A03856 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A03856-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          3856

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 30, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. WILLIAMS -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

        AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to providing
          reimbursement for certain individuals residing in transit deserts

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

     1    Section  1.  Section 1703 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
     2  adding four new subdivisions 8-a, 8-b, 8-c and 8-d to read as follows:
     3    8-a. "Transit desert" shall mean an area located  in  a  city  with  a
     4  population of a million or more that lacks a subway system and is heavi-
     5  ly  car  dependent.  Such  area shall include, but not be limited to the
     6  following zip codes, some part of, 10301, 10304,  10306,  10307,  10308,
     7  10309,  10310,  10312,  11234, 11229, 11236, 11357, 11358, 11360, 11361,
     8  11379, 11411, 11412, 11413, 11422, 11423, 11427,  11428,  11432,  11433,
     9  11434, 11581, 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694, 11695 and 11697.
    10    8-b.  "Medical  treatment"  shall  include, but not be limited to, the
    11  following services, anesthesiology,  bariatrics  and  nutrition,  cancer
    12  treatment, pediatric care, dentistry, emergency care, endocrinology, eye
    13  care, immunology and rheumatology, mental health, nephrology, neurology,
    14  obstetrics & gynecology, occupational medicine, orthopedic care, otolar-
    15  yngology,   palliative   care,  pathology,  plastic  and  reconstructive
    16  surgery, primary care, pulmonary and critical care medicine,  radiology,
    17  rehabilitation, surgery, urgent care, and urology.
    18    8-c.  "Religious  leader"  shall  include  any member of the clergy or
    19  laity who is engaged in the work assigned by the church or  the  denomi-
    20  nation of which such individual is a member.
    21    8-d. "Religious services" shall include rites and/or rituals performed
    22  by a religious leader.
    23    §  2.  Section  1704-a  of  the  vehicle and traffic law is amended by
    24  adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07384-01-5
        A. 3856                             2

     1    5. (a) The Triborough bridge and tunnel authority  shall  implement  a
     2  reimbursement  program  for  one hundred percent of all central business
     3  district tolls, fees and other charges assessed for certain cars  enter-
     4  ing  such  district  from  a  transit  desert, as defined in subdivision
     5  eight-a  of  section seventeen hundred three of this article.  Such cars
     6  shall include those entering to seek medical treatment,  as  defined  in
     7  subdivision  eight-b of section seventeen hundred three of this article,
     8  and those entering to provide religious services as defined in  subdivi-
     9  sion  eight-d  of  section  seventeen hundred three of this article.  To
    10  qualify for such reimbursement, individuals shall be required to provide
    11  both proof of residency and  documentation  from  either  their  medical
    12  treatment  provider  or  by the church or the denomination of which such
    13  individual is a member.
    14    (b) Such reimbursement shall occur monthly by  the  Triborough  bridge
    15  and  tunnel  authority after receipt of the documentation required under
    16  paragraph (a) of this subdivision.
    17    (c) The Triborough bridge and tunnel authority shall create a standard
    18  form to provide to medical treatment providers  and  churches  or  other
    19  denominations necessary to effectuate such reimbursement program.
    20    §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
    21  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    22  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    23  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    24  on or before such effective date.