Bill Text: NY A00581 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Prohibits motor vehicle rental agencies from discriminating against a person because he or she does not have a major credit card.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-12 - advanced to third reading cal.568 [A00581 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A00581-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          581
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. GANTT -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Consumer Affairs and Protection
       AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to the  rental  of
         motor vehicles
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Paragraphs c and d of subdivision 1 of section 391-1 of the
    2  general business law, as added by chapter 573 of the laws  of  1980  and
    3  such  section  as  redesignated  by chapter 694 of the laws of 1995, are
    4  amended and two new paragraphs e and f are added to read as follows:
    5    c. "Motor vehicle" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by  section
    6  one hundred twenty-five of the vehicle and traffic law; [and]
    7    d.  "Credit  card"  shall  mean  any credit card, credit plate, charge
    8  plate or other identification card or device which is issued by a person
    9  to another person as the holder thereof, and may be used by such  holder
   10  to  obtain  a  cash  advance or a loan or credit, or to purchase or rent
   11  property or services on the credit of the person issuing the credit card
   12  or of the holder[.];
   13    E. "AUTHORIZED DRIVER" SHALL MEAN: (I) THE PERSON TO WHOM THE  VEHICLE
   14  IS  RENTED  IF  A LICENSED DRIVER; (II) SUCH PERSON'S SPOUSE IF LICENSED
   15  AND AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE; (III) ANY PERSON  WHO  OPERATES  THE
   16  VEHICLE DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION TO A MEDICAL FACILITY; OR (IV) ANY
   17  LICENSED  DRIVER  EXPRESSLY LISTED ON THE RENTAL AGREEMENT AS AN AUTHOR-
   18  IZED DRIVER; AND
   19    F. "RENTAL AGREEMENT" MEANS ANY WRITTEN AGREEMENT SETTING FORTH  TERMS
   20  AND  CONDITIONS  GOVERNING THE AUTHORIZED DRIVER'S USE OF A RENTAL VEHI-
   21  CLE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN-A OF THE VEHICLE AND
   22  TRAFFIC LAW, FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED THIRTY CONTINUOUS DAYS.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02565-01-5
       A. 581                              2
    1    S 2. Subdivision 2 of section 391-l of the general  business  law,  as
    2  added  by  chapter  573 of the laws of 1980 and such section as redesig-
    3  nated by chapter 694 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
    4    2. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, association
    5  or  corporation  engaged  in  the  business of renting motor vehicles to
    6  refuse to rent such vehicle to any person solely on the  requirement  of
    7  ownership of a credit card OR REQUIRE ANY PERSON TO OWN A CREDIT CARD IN
    8  ORDER TO OPERATE A VEHICLE OR ENTER INTO A RENTAL AGREEMENT.
    9    S  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
   10  have become a law.
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