Bill Text: NY A02874 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits drivers of a bus, taxi or livery from using hands-free mobile telephones; provides for certain exceptions.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to transportation [A02874 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A02874-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2874

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 27, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. PAULIN, FAHY, SANTABARBARA, TAYLOR, McDONOUGH,
          DeSTEFANO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation

        AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  drivers  of
          buses, taxis and livery vehicles using hands-free mobile telephones

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

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and  traffic
     2  law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
     3    (e)  No  driver of a bus, livery or taxi shall use a hands-free mobile
     4  telephone while operating a moving bus or motor vehicle  except  in  the
     5  case  of  an emergency pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision three of
     6  this section or if such hands-free mobile telephone is used for dispatch
     7  or if the bus or motor vehicle is parked, for purposes other than  drop-
     8  ping  off  or  picking  up  passengers, at the side of, or off, a public
     9  highway in a location where such vehicle  is  not  otherwise  prohibited
    10  from  stopping by law, rule, regulation or any lawful order or direction
    11  of a police officer.
    12    § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and  traffic  law,
    13  as  added  by  chapter  69  of  the  laws of 2001, is amended to read as
    14  follows:
    15    3. Subdivision two of this section shall not apply to (a) the use of a
    16  mobile telephone for the sole purpose of communicating with any  of  the
    17  following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response opera-
    18  tor;  a  hospital,  physician's  office  or  health clinic; an ambulance
    19  company or corps; a fire department, district or company;  or  a  police
    20  department, (b) any of the following persons while in the performance of
    21  their  official duties: a police officer or peace officer; a member of a
    22  fire department, district or company; or the operator of  an  authorized
    23  emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this chapter,
    24  or (c) the use of a hands-free mobile telephone, except in the case of a
    25  driver operating a bus, taxi or livery.
    26    §  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    27  have become a law.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03651-01-3