Bill Text: NY A08145 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enacts the "responsible implementation of e-bike regulations for safe cycling (RIDERS) act; defines "electric skateboard" and "electric personal mobility device"; requires the registration of all electric personal mobility devices, including, but not limited to, bicycles with electric assist, electric scooters and electric skateboards; makes related provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-21 - held for consideration in transportation [A08145 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A08145-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8145 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY October 13, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PIROZZOLO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the "responsible implementation of e-bike regulations for safe cycling (RIDERS) act"; and to repeal certain provisions of the vehicle and traffic law, relating to motor-assisted vehicles 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 may be known and shall be cited as 2 the "responsible implementation of e-bike regulations for safe cycling 3 (RIDERS) act." 4 § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding two new sections 5 114-f and 114-g to read as follows: 6 § 114-f. Electric skateboard. Every device weighing less than one 7 hundred pounds that: 8 (a) may have handlebars, a floorboard designed to be stood upon by the 9 operator that is no more than sixty inches long and eighteen inches 10 wide, and an electric motor; 11 (b) can be powered by an electric motor and/or human power; 12 (c) is designed to transport only one person at a time; and 13 (d) has a maximum speed of no more than twenty-five miles per hour on 14 a paved level surface when powered solely by the electric motor. 15 § 114-g. Electric personal mobility device. Such device shall include, 16 but not be limited to, an electric bicycle with assist as defined in 17 section one hundred two-c of this article, electric scooter as defined 18 in section one hundred fourteen-e of this article and an electric skate- 19 board as defined in section one hundred fourteen-f of this article. 20 § 3. Subdivision (c) of section 102-c of the vehicle and traffic law, 21 as added by section 1 of part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is 22 amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD13340-02-3A. 8145 2 1 (c) "Class three bicycle with electric assist." [Solely within a city2having a population of one million or more, a] A bicycle with electric 3 assist having an electric motor that may be used exclusively to propel 4 such bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when such 5 bicycle reaches a speed of twenty-five miles per hour. 6 § 4. Section 2268 of the vehicle and traffic law is REPEALED. 7 § 5. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new article 8 15-B to read as follows: 9 ARTICLE 15-B 10 REGISTRATION OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES 11 Section 414-a. Registration of electric personal mobility devices. 12 § 414-a. Registration of electric personal mobility devices. 1. No 13 electric personal mobility device shall be operated and driven upon 14 public highways of this state without first being registered with the 15 provisions of this section, except as otherwise expressly provided in 16 this chapter. The commissioner is directed to create a new registration 17 category and process for electric personal mobility devices. Such 18 registration category shall apply to all types of electric personal 19 mobility devices, including, but not limited to, bicycles with electric 20 assist, electric scooters, and electric skateboards provided that such 21 devices have the ability to meet or exceed a speed of twenty miles per 22 hour while using motorized power. The commissioner shall also have the 23 authority to add additional types of electric personal mobility devices 24 to the list of authorized devices required to be registered, insured, 25 and only operated by a licensed operator. 26 2. The commissioner is directed to coordinate with electric personal 27 mobility device manufacturers to develop a unique identifier to be 28 permanently affixed in plain view on such devices before purchase. Such 29 devices purchased or manufactured before the effective date of this 30 section shall not require a unique identifier. Owners of such devices 31 shall be liable under the specific provisions of this law, including, 32 but not limited to, licensure and registration of such devices. 33 3. The violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be 34 punishable by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than three hundred 35 seventy-five dollars, and confiscation of such electric personal mobili- 36 ty device for a period of thirty days, provided, however that in the 37 event of confiscation, the licensee or a parent or guardian of the oper- 38 ator of such device shall have thirty days after repossession to obtain 39 proper registration and/or licensure of the device. In the event of 40 failure to obtain proper registration and/or licensure of the device 41 within thirty days, the department may suspend the operator's license to 42 operate such device and/or confiscate the device until the owner can 43 furnish proof of proper registration and licensure. 44 4. (a) No person under the age of sixteen shall operate an electric 45 personal mobility device, as defined in section one hundred fourteen-g 46 of this chapter. Any person under the age of sixteen may sit as a 47 passenger on a class two or class three bicycle with electric assist as 48 defined in section one hundred two-c of this chapter, provided such 49 bicycle is equipped or designed to carry a passenger. 50 (b) No person shall operate or sit as a passenger on an electric 51 personal mobility device, unless such person is wearing protective head- 52 gear that conforms to the minimum specifications established for bicycle 53 helmets by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission or the 54 American Society for Testing and Materials. 55 5. An electric personal mobility device may be ridden in places where 56 bicycles are allowed, including, but not limited to, streets, roadways,A. 8145 3 1 highways, shoulders, bicycle lanes, and bicycle or multi-use paths. 2 Following notice and at least one public hearing, a county, munici- 3 pality, or other political subdivision of the state that has jurisdic- 4 tion over a bicycle or multi-use path may prohibit the operation of 5 electric personal mobility devices on bicycle or multi-use paths if it 6 is found that the prohibition is needed for safety reasons or compliance 7 with local laws or ordinances. 8 6. (a) The commissioner shall submit on or before January first, two 9 thousand twenty-five, and annually thereafter, an annual report to the 10 governor, the speaker of the assembly, the temporary president of the 11 senate, the minority leader of the senate, and the minority leader of 12 the assembly on the number of electric personal mobility devices regis- 13 tered, annual data on any violations of this law by unlicensed or unreg- 14 istered operation, number of criminal citations issued related to such 15 electric personal mobility devices and revenues collected pursuant to 16 this section. 17 (b) Such report shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations 18 on how to improve the effectiveness of this section for the purposes of 19 increased user and pedestrian safety, as well as recommendations on the 20 issue of fire safety and maintenance. 21 § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 22 it shall have become a law.
