Bill Text: NY S02763 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes an office of the transit riders advocate to receive and resolve complaints affecting mass transit users of facilities of the metropolitan transportation authority.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S02763 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S02763-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2763 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 29, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to establishing an office of the transit riders advocate for the purpose of receiving and resolving complaints affecting mass transit users of the facili- ties of the metropolitan transportation authority The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new 2 section 1279-e to read as follows: 3 § 1279-e. Office of the transit riders advocate. 1. Definitions. For 4 the purposes of this section, the term "executive director" shall mean 5 the individual appointed to serve as the chief executive officer of the 6 authority pursuant to subdivision four of section twelve hundred sixty- 7 three of this title. 8 2. Office established. There is hereby established within the authori- 9 ty an office of the transit riders advocate for the purpose of receiving 10 and resolving complaints affecting mass transit users of the facilities 11 of the authority and, where appropriate, referring complaints to appro- 12 priate investigatory agencies and acting in concert with such agencies. 13 3. Director. (a) The executive director shall appoint a full-time 14 director to administer and supervise the office from a list of candi- 15 dates submitted by the permanent citizens advisory committee. The direc- 16 tor shall report directly to the executive director. 17 (b) The director shall be selected from among individuals with exper- 18 tise and experience in the field of advocacy, and with other qualifica- 19 tions determined by the permanent citizens advisory committee to be 20 appropriate for the position. 21 (c) The director shall be authorized to employ qualified staff and 22 other employees as may be required to perform the duties and responsi- 23 bilities of the office. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03794-01-9S. 2763 2 1 (d) The director shall: 2 (i) identify, investigate and resolve complaints that are made by, or 3 on behalf of, mass transit and paratransit users of the facilities of 4 the authority and that relate to actions, inactions or decisions that 5 may adversely affect the health, safety and welfare or rights of such 6 users; and 7 (ii) provide information and services to assist mass transit and para- 8 transit users in protecting their health, safety, welfare and rights, 9 including but not limited to representing the interests of such users 10 before governmental agencies and seeking appropriate administrative, 11 legal and other remedies to protect their welfare, safety, health and 12 rights. 13 (e) The board, in consultation with the director, shall establish in 14 regulations standards for the operation of the office. 15 4. Review of complaint. (a) Upon receipt of a complaint, the director 16 shall determine immediately whether there are reasonable grounds for an 17 investigation. To the maximum extent possible, all complaints shall be 18 resolved within sixty days of the receipt of the complaint. Such inves- 19 tigation shall be conducted in a manner prescribed in regulations. 20 (b) The director shall not disclose the identity of the complainant 21 that made a complaint to the office of the transit riders advocate 22 unless: 23 (i) the complainant or his or her legal representative gives written 24 consent to the office of the transit riders advocate; or 25 (ii) pursuant to a court order. 26 5. Reporting requirements. (a) The director shall annually submit to 27 the board a report and make such report available to the public: 28 (i) describing the activities carried out by the office during the 29 prior calendar year; 30 (ii) containing and analyzing data relating to complaints for the 31 purpose of identifying and resolving significant problems. The report 32 shall report separately on data relating to complaints made by riders 33 and users of the authority's paratransit services; 34 (iii) evaluating the problems experienced by, and the complaints made 35 by or on behalf of, mass transit and paratransit users; 36 (iv) containing recommendations, after consultation with the permanent 37 citizens advisory committee, for: 38 (A) protecting the health, safety and welfare and rights of the mass 39 transit and paratransit users; and 40 (B) appropriate state legislation, rules and regulations and other 41 action to improve the quality of services to the mass transit and para- 42 transit users; and 43 (v) any other matters as the director determines to be appropriate. 44 (b) The information contained in such report shall be included in the 45 annual report required pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred of this 46 chapter. 47 (c) Within sixty days of the submission of the report, the director 48 shall conduct at least one public meeting in each of the five boroughs 49 of the city of New York to report on, explain and discuss the data and 50 information contained in such report. 51 6. Public outreach. (a) The authority shall ensure that the mass tran- 52 sit users of the facilities of the authority and the general public are 53 fully informed and made aware of the office of the transit riders advo- 54 cate and the complaint process, including but not limited to: 55 (i) establishing an easily identifiable and prominently displayed link 56 on the authority's website;S. 2763 3 1 (ii) establishing a toll-free number for complaints; and 2 (iii) displaying prominently the existence of the office and the toll- 3 free number on buses, trains, subways and stations operated by the 4 authority. 5 (b) Such information shall be set forth in English and such other 6 languages as the authority deems necessary and appropriate. 7 § 2. The metropolitan transportation authority shall, to the maximum 8 extent possible, resolve all complaints described in subdivision 2 of 9 section 1279-e of the public authorities law received by it prior to the 10 effective date of this act within 60 days after the effective date of 11 this act. Any unresolved complaints remaining with such authority on 12 such date shall be transferred, along with any documents and records 13 related thereto, to the office of the transit riders advocate estab- 14 lished by section 1279-e of the public authorities law for resolution. 15 § 3. The appointment of the director authorized by paragraph (a) of 16 subdivision 3 of section 1279-e of the public authorities law shall be 17 made on or before the effective date of this act. 18 § 4. This act shall take effect six months after it shall have become 19 a law.
