Bill Text: NY A00959 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Provides improved access to taxicabs for persons with disabilities and authorizes the sale of 2,000 additional wheelchair accessible taxicab licenses in NYC; provides for the NYC taxi and limousine commissioner to set aside up to $100,000,000, but not less than $75,000,000, for the modification and upkeep of all medallion taxicabs and to offset any additional costs of medallion owners.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to cities [A00959 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A00959-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          959
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. KELLNER, WEISENBERG, DINOWITZ, BARRON, MILLMAN,
         HOOPER, WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. FARRELL, GLICK, GOTT-
         FRIED -- read once and referred to the Committee on Cities
       AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to providing  for
         improved access to taxicabs for persons with disabilities
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1.  Section 181 of the general municipal law,  as  amended  by
    2  chapter  579 of the laws of 1993, subdivision 1 as separately amended by
    3  chapters 382 and 385 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
    4    S 181. Ordinances to regulate taxicabs and limousines.  1. The munici-
    5  pal officers and boards in the several cities,  towns  and  villages  of
    6  this state now having the authority to enact ordinances, may adopt ordi-
    7  nances regulating:
    8    [1.]  (A) The registration and licensing of taxicabs and may limit the
    9  number of taxicabs to be licensed and  the  county  of  Westchester  may
   10  adopt  ordinances  regulating the registration and licensing of taxicabs
   11  and limousines and may limit the number to be licensed;  the  county  of
   12  Nassau  may adopt ordinances regulating the registration of taxicabs and
   13  limousines; and the county of Suffolk may  adopt  ordinances  regulating
   14  the  registration  of taxicabs, limousines, and livery vehicles; and the
   15  county of Rockland may adopt local laws  or  ordinances  regulating  the
   16  registration  and licensing of taxicabs, limousines, and livery vehicles
   17  and may limit the number to be licensed.
   18    [2.] (B) Parking and passenger  pick-up  and  discharge  by  taxicabs,
   19  limousines  and  livery  vehicles.  Establishment of such ordinances and
   20  regulations regulating parking and passenger pick-up and discharges  may
   21  be based upon recommendations from municipal planning officials or other
   22  public  entities  and  may  address  and  take  into  consideration such
   23  factors, including, but not limited to, geographic areas, vehicle  type,
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01883-01-3
       A. 959                              2
    1  limiting  the  number of parked vehicles and activities undertaken while
    2  parked, and periods of idling.
    3    2.  THE  MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND BOARDS IN ANY CITY HAVING A POPULATION
    4  OF MORE THAN ONE MILLION SHALL NO LATER THAN APRIL THIRTIETH, TWO  THOU-
    5  SAND FIFTEEN ADOPT ORDINANCES PROVIDING:
    6    (A) THAT "ACCESSIBLE TAXICAB" SHALL MEAN ANY VEHICLE THAT
    7    (1) IS EQUIPPED WITH A LIFT, RAMP, OR ANY OTHER DEVICE, ARRANGEMENT OR
    8  ALTERATION, SO IT IS CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL DISA-
    9  BILITIES,  INCLUDING  THOSE  WHO  USE  WHEELCHAIRS, SCOOTERS AND SIMILAR
   10  DEVICES WHILE THEY REMAIN SEATED IN THEIR WHEELCHAIRS, SCOOTERS OR SIMI-
   11  LAR DEVICES;
   12    (2) COMPLIES WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS SET FORTH IN REGULATIONS  PROMUL-
   13  GATED  UNDER  THE  AMERICANS  WITH  DISABILITIES  ACT AND CODIFIED AT 49
   14  C.F.R. SECTIONS 38.23, 38.25 AND 38.31, AS AMENDED, WHETHER OR NOT THOSE
   15  REGULATIONS WOULD APPLY UNDER FEDERAL LAW;
   16    (3) IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM  FOR  PERSONS  WITH
   17  HEARING  IMPAIRMENT  THAT IS CONNECTED WITH ANY INTERCOM, VIDEO OR AUDIO
   18  SYSTEM, WHEN SUCH A SYSTEM IS INSTALLED;
   19    (4) ASSURES THAT THE TECHNOLOGY UTILIZED BY TAXICABS IS COMPLIANT WITH
   20  THE  STANDARDS  PROMULGATED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF   TRANSPORTATION;
   21  PROVIDED THAT A LOCAL AUTHORITY WITH OVERSIGHT OVER TAXICABS, LIMOUSINES
   22  AND LIVERY VEHICLES MAY CONDUCT PILOT PROGRAMS TESTING NEW SYSTEMS;
   23    (5)  IS  EQUIPPED WITH STANDARDIZED SIGNS PRINTED IN: (A) BRAILLE; AND
   24  (B) LARGE-PRINT TEXT SO THAT SUCH SIGNS ARE VISIBLE TO PERSONS WITH  LOW
   25  VISION;
   26    (6)  PROVIDES  SUFFICIENT FLOOR SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE A SERVICE ANIMAL;
   27  AND
   28    (7) IF POWERED BY A HYBRID-ELECTRIC POWER PLANT, IS EQUIPPED  WITH  AN
   29  APPROPRIATE  DEVICE TO ENABLE PERSONS WHO ARE BLIND TO HEAR THE APPROACH
   30  OF THE VEHICLE AS READILY AS THEY CAN HEAR A CONVENTIONAL  GASOLINE-POW-
   31  ERED TAXICAB.
   32    (B)  THAT  NO  OWNER OF A TAXICAB SHALL PLACE ANY TAXICAB INTO SERVICE
   33  SUBSEQUENT TO OCTOBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN WHICH TAXICAB  IS  NOT
   34  AN ACCESSIBLE TAXICAB.
   35    3. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM"
   36  SHALL   MEAN   SITUATIONAL-PERSONAL   ACOUSTIC  COMMUNICATION  EQUIPMENT
   37  DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE TRANSMISSION AND AUDITORY  RECEPTION  OF  SOUND.
   38  SUCH  SYSTEM  SHALL  INCLUDE  BUT  NOT BE LIMITED TO THE USE OF STANDARD
   39  AMPLITUDE MODULATION (AM), FREQUENCY MODULATION  (FM),  AUDIO  INDUCTION
   40  LOOP, INFRARED LIGHT SOUND, OR HARD WIRE SYSTEMS.
   41    S  2.  The  commissioner of transportation shall promulgate any rules,
   42  regulations and standards necessary to give effect of the provisions  of
   43  this act, including, but not limited to rules, regulations and standards
   44  concerning  the standardization of assistive listening technology avail-
   45  able in taxicabs and the content of signs available in taxicabs to visu-
   46  ally impaired persons.
   47    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.