Bill Text: NY A06860 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enacts the "vehicle ramming prevention act"; directs the division of homeland security and emergency services to establish and distribute a suspicious rental activity guidance poster; directs the division of homeland security and emergency service to provide the national hotline contact number for vehicle rental companies to report suspicious rental activity; directs such division to educate vehicle rental companies on what behavior constitutes suspicious rental activity; and in turn such companies shall educate their employees on suspicious rental activity.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to governmental operations [A06860 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-A06860-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6860 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 22, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, TAYLOR, COOK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the "vehicle ramming prevention act" to cause the monitoring of suspicious vehicle rental activity The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "vehicle ramming prevention act". 3 § 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 719 to read 4 as follows: 5 § 719. Suspicious rental activity. 1. For purposes of this section, 6 "rental vehicle company" shall have the same meaning as defined in para- 7 graph (c) of subdivision one of section three hundred ninety-six-z of 8 the general business law provided, however, the requirements of this 9 section shall only apply to the offices, departments and employees of 10 the rental vehicle company that handle and facilitate vehicle rentals. 11 2. The division shall establish and distribute a guidance poster 12 containing information, consistent with federal law enforcement recom- 13 mendations, on suspicious rental vehicle activity and procedures for 14 rental vehicle company employees to follow to assist in preventing vehi- 15 cle ramming attacks. The poster shall include, but not be limited to: 16 (a) a list of potentially suspicious activities that individually or 17 in combination may be reportable including, but not limited to: 18 (i) customer behaviors that may be considered suspicious; 19 (ii) suspicious factors that an employee should be aware of when a 20 rental vehicle is returned, such as whether the vehicle smells like 21 chemicals and whether the vehicle was altered; and 22 (iii) suspicious rental practices such as using cash for large trans- 23 actions; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD05583-01-9A. 6860 2 1 (b) the national hotline number for an employee to use if they suspect 2 illegal activity; and 3 (c) any other information deemed important by the division that would 4 assist employees of rental vehicle companies in identifying suspicious 5 rental activity. 6 3. Every rental vehicle company shall post such poster in a conspicu- 7 ous place in a location frequented by employees, such as a break room. 8 4. Every rental vehicle company shall maintain and provide to the 9 division a twenty-four hour a day contact number by which state or local 10 law enforcement may reach appropriate personnel for the handling of 11 communications related to suspected terrorist activity. 12 5. The division shall take such steps as necessary to educate rental 13 vehicle companies on what may be considered suspicious rental activity 14 and on the existence and use of the national hotline. The commissioner 15 of homeland security and emergency services, in consultation with the 16 superintendent of state police and federal law enforcement authorities, 17 shall update the recommendations or general guidance provided pursuant 18 to subdivision two of this section on an annual basis to commercial 19 motor carrier and rental vehicle companies to enhance protections 20 against a terrorist attack. 21 6. Each rental vehicle company shall conduct annual training for 22 employees responsible for the rental or safeguarding of any vehicles. 23 Such training shall include information from state and federal law 24 enforcement provided pursuant to subdivision two of this section on how 25 employees can spot and report suspicious rental activity. 26 7. No rental vehicle company, nor any employee or agent thereof shall 27 be liable for any civil damages for injuries resulting from any act of 28 commission or omission on his or her part in the course of his or her 29 compliance with the provisions of this section, unless it is established 30 that such injuries were caused by gross negligence, or reckless, wanton 31 or intentional misconduct, on the part of such rental vehicle company, 32 or any employee or agent thereof. 33 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 34 have become a law.