Bill Text: NY A09886 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes a bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual; provides for the issuance of a license for residents who successfully read and comprehend the operator's safety manual; requires residents who operate a bicycle with electric assist or electric scooter in New York City to have a license to operate such devices.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-19 - referred to transportation [A09886 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-A09886-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9886 IN ASSEMBLY April 19, 2022 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ABBATE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing a bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual and licensing requirement in a city with a population of one million or more The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new 2 article 12-E to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 12-E 4 NEW YORK CITY 5 BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST 6 AND ELECTRIC SCOOTER SAFETY EDUCATION COURSE AND LICENSE 7 Section 399-u. Bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter opera- 8 tor's safety manual. 9 399-v. License for the operation of a bicycle with electric 10 assist and electric scooter. 11 399-w. Rules and regulations. 12 § 399-u. Bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter operator's 13 safety manual. The commissioner shall develop and publish a bicycle with 14 electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual that shall 15 be available for distribution and accessible on the department's 16 website. The manual shall include but not be limited to the following: 17 (a) an overview of traffic laws governing bicycles with electric 18 assist and electric scooters; 19 (b) the safe operation of bicycles with electric assist and electric 20 scooters; 21 (c) bicycle lanes as defined in section one hundred two-a of this 22 chapter; and 23 (d) obligations to comply with traffic control devices and markings 24 related to bicycles with electric assist operators, electric scooter 25 operators and pedestrians. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD15318-01-2A. 9886 2 1 § 399-v. License for the operation of a bicycle with electric assist 2 and electric scooter. 1. Upon successful comprehension of the bicycle 3 with electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual, a 4 resident of a city with a population of one million or more may then 5 make an application to receive a license for the operation of a bicycle 6 with electric assist and electric scooter. 7 2. (a) An application for such license shall be made to the commis- 8 sioner and shall require an applicant to furnish proof of identity, age, 9 fitness and any other information required by the commissioner. Such 10 application may also require a photographic image of the applicant. 11 (b) A nominal fee may be prescribed by the commissioner for the issu- 12 ance, renewal and amendment of a license. 13 (c) A license shall be valid from the date of issuance until a date of 14 expiration as determined by the commissioner. 15 § 399-w. Rules and regulations. The commissioner shall promulgate such 16 rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of 17 this article. In addition to any requirements expressly authorized by 18 this article, such regulations may include, but not be limited to, vali- 19 dating that a person has read and comprehends the department's bicycle 20 with electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual. 21 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 504 of the vehicle and traffic law is 22 amended by adding a new paragraph (a-2) to read as follows: 23 (a-2) Every license or renewal thereof issued to an applicant who has 24 a license for the operation of a bicycle with electric assist and elec- 25 tric scooter in a city with a population of one million or more and 26 after submission of proof as set forth in this paragraph shall contain a 27 distinguishing mark, in such form as the commissioner shall determine, 28 indicating that he or she has read and comprehends the bicycle with 29 electric assist and electric scooter operator's safety manual. Such 30 proof shall consist of a license for the operation of a bicycle with 31 electric assist and electric scooter that is provided pursuant to 32 section three hundred ninety-nine-v of this chapter. The commissioner 33 shall not require fees for the issuance of such licenses or renewals 34 thereof containing a bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter 35 operator's safety manual comprehension distinguishing mark which are 36 different from fees otherwise required; provided, however, that notwith- 37 standing the provisions of this section, the commissioner shall not 38 require fees for a duplication or amendment of a license prior to its 39 renewal if such duplication or amendment was solely for the purpose of 40 adding a bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter operator's 41 safety manual comprehension distinguishing mark to such license. 42 § 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 43 1244 to read as follows: 44 § 1244. Operation of a bicycle with electric assist is prohibited 45 without a license. No person shall operate a bicycle with electric 46 assist on a public roadway in a city with a population of one million or 47 more unless the operator is a holder of a license for the operation of a 48 bicycle with electric assist and electric scooter issued to him or her 49 pursuant to article twelve-E of this chapter. 50 § 4. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 51 1290 to read as follows: 52 § 1290. Operation of an electric scooter is prohibited without a 53 license. No person shall operate an electric scooter on a public roadway 54 in a city with a population of one million or more unless the operator 55 is a holder of a license for the operation of a bicycle with electricA. 9886 3 1 assist and electric scooter issued to him or her pursuant to article 2 twelve-E of this chapter. 3 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 4 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 5 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 6 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or 7 before such date.