Bill Text: NY A09519 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes domestic companion animals be permitted to board any public transportation or public transportation service in the event of a state of emergency and evacuation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-05-06 - referred to corporations, authorities and commissions [A09519 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A09519-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         9519
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      May 6, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
       AN ACT to amend chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating  to  the  port
         authority  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey, in relation to authorizing
         domestic companion animals be permitted to board any public  transpor-
         tation  or  public  transportation  service in the event of a state of
         emergency and evacuation of a region
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Section 1 of chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to
    2  the port authority of New York and New Jersey, is amended  by  adding  a
    3  new article VII-B to read as follows:
    4                                 ARTICLE VII-B
    5    1. A. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE:
    6    (I)  "DOMESTIC  COMPANION  ANIMAL"  MEANS A COMPANION ANIMAL OR PET AS
    7  DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THE  AGRICULTURE  AND  MARKETS
    8  LAW  AND  SHALL  ALSO  MEAN ANY OTHER DOMESTICATED ANIMAL NORMALLY MAIN-
    9  TAINED IN OR NEAR THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE OWNER OR  PERSON  WHO  CARES  FOR
   10  SUCH  OTHER  DOMESTICATED  ANIMAL. "PET" OR "COMPANION ANIMAL" SHALL NOT
   11  INCLUDE A "FARM ANIMAL," AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE  HUNDRED  FIFTY  OF
   12  THE AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS LAW.
   13    (II)  "PUBLIC  TRANSPORTATION  OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE" MEANS
   14  RAIL PASSENGER SERVICE,  MOTORBUS  REGULAR  ROUTE  SERVICE,  PARATRANSIT
   15  SERVICE, MOTORBUS CHARTER SERVICE, AND FERRY PASSENGER SERVICE.
   16    B. (I) IN THE EVENT THAT A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED AND AN
   17  EVACUATION  OF  ANY  REGION  OF THE STATE IS IN PROGRESS, THE OWNER OF A
   18  DOMESTIC COMPANION ANIMAL SHALL BE PERMITTED TO BOARD ANY PUBLIC  TRANS-
   19  PORTATION  OR  PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE WITH THE DOMESTIC COMPANION
   20  ANIMAL SO LONG AS THAT ANIMAL IS UNDER THE OWNER'S CONTROL BY USE  OF  A
   21  LEASH  OR TETHER, OR IS PROPERLY CONFINED IN AN APPROPRIATE CONTAINER OR
   22  BY OTHER SUITABLE MEANS, PROVIDED THAT SUCH BOARDING  IS  AUTHORIZED  BY
   23  AND  CONSISTENT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY PLANS OR
   24  LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY PLANS PERTAINING TO THE NEEDS  OF  ANIMALS  AND
   25  INDIVIDUALS  WITH  AN  ANIMAL  UNDER  THEIR CARE. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14492-01-4
       A. 9519                             2
    1  ARTICLE SHALL ONLY APPLY TO THE OWNERS OF DOMESTIC COMPANION ANIMALS WHO
    2  ARE EVACUATING FROM A REGION OF THE STATE AFFECTED BY THE  EMERGENCY  OR
    3  LOCAL  DISASTER  EMERGENCY AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWENTY OF THE EXECUTIVE
    4  LAW, OR A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY, AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF
    5  THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
    6    (II)  A  DOMESTIC  COMPANION ANIMAL MAY BE REFUSED PERMISSION TO BOARD
    7  ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE, EVEN IF  THE
    8  ANIMAL  IS  UNDER THE OWNER'S CONTROL OR PROPERLY CONFINED IN ACCORDANCE
    9  WITH THIS PARAGRAPH IF THERE IS REASONABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT, DUE TO
   10  ATTENDANT CIRCUMSTANCES, PERMITTING THE ANIMAL TO  BOARD  WOULD  POSE  A
   11  HEALTH OR SAFETY HAZARD.
   12    C. ALL PASSENGERS WITH SERVICE ANIMALS SHALL BE GIVEN PRIORITY SEATING
   13  ON  ALL  MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION REGULATED BY THIS ARTICLE IN ACCORDANCE
   14  WITH THE FEDERAL "AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF  1990"  (42  U.S.C.
   15  S.12101  ET  SEQ.).  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, "SERVICE ANIMAL"
   16  SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SET FORTH IN THE FEDERAL "AMERICANS  WITH
   17  DISABILITIES  ACT  OF  1990"  (42  U.S.C. S.12101 ET SEQ.) AND ANY REGU-
   18  LATIONS UNDER THE ACT.
   19    D. ALL PASSENGERS ON ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR  PUBLIC  TRANSPORTA-
   20  TION  SERVICE  SHALL  BE  PROVIDED  SEATING  BEFORE A DOMESTIC COMPANION
   21  ANIMAL MAY BE PLACED IN A SEAT.
   22    2. THE PORT AUTHORITY IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO MAKE  AND  ENFORCE  SUCH
   23  RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ARTICLE.
   24    S  2.  This  act  shall take effect upon the enactment into law by the
   25  state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical  effect;  but  if
   26  the  state  of  New  Jersey shall have already enacted such legislation,
   27  then this act shall take effect immediately and provided that the  state
   28  of New Jersey shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon
   29  the  occurrence  of the enactment of the provisions provided for in this
   30  act in order that the commission may maintain  an  accurate  and  timely
   31  effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New
   32  York  in  furtherance  of  effecting the provisions of section 44 of the
   33  legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.