Bill Text: NY S08051 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the display of green lights on the vehicles of members of mobile crisis teams and the revocation of authorization to display such light.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-02-07 - SIGNED CHAP.71 [S08051 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S08051-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8051

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 5, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the  display
          of green lights on the vehicles of members of mobile crisis teams

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

     1    Section 1. Paragraph 5 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of the vehicle
     2  and traffic law, as amended by a chapter of the laws  of  2023  amending
     3  the  vehicle  and traffic law relating to the display of green lights on
     4  the vehicles of members of mobile crisis teams, as proposed in  legisla-
     5  tive bills numbers S. 5397 and A. 5604, is amended to read as follows:
     6    5.  Green light. (a) One green light may be affixed to any motor vehi-
     7  cle owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service or by a member of
     8  a mobile crisis team, or on a motor vehicle owned by a  member  of  such
     9  person's  family, or by a business enterprise in which such person has a
    10  proprietary interest or by which he is employed, provided such member of
    11  a volunteer ambulance service has been authorized in writing to so affix
    12  a green light by the chief officer of such service as designated by  the
    13  members  thereof,  or  provided  such member of a mobile crisis team has
    14  been authorized in writing to so affix a green light by the  [office  of
    15  mental  health  or the office of addiction services and supports] mobile
    16  crisis team's director or  similar  role,  provided  further  that  such
    17  director  or  similar  role  or their successor may revoke such authori-
    18  zation at any time.  Such green light may be  displayed  exclusively  by
    19  such  member of a volunteer ambulance service, or a member of a deployed
    20  mobile crisis team, only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use
    21  of green lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a member
    22  of a volunteer ambulance service or a member of a mobile crisis team  as
    23  provided  for  in  this  paragraph  except  as otherwise provided for in
    24  subparagraph [c] (c) of this paragraph.
    25    (b) As used in this paragraph  the  following  terms  shall  have  the
    26  following meanings:
    27    (i)  "volunteer ambulance service" means:  (A) a non-profit membership
    28  corporation (other  than  a  fire  corporation)  incorporated  under  or

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08005-02-4
        S. 8051                             2

     1  subject  to  the  provisions  of the membership corporations law, or any
     2  other law, operating its ambulance or ambulances on a  non-profit  basis
     3  for  the convenience of the members thereof and their families or of the
     4  community  or  under  a  contract  with  a county, city, town or village
     5  pursuant to section one hundred twenty-two-b of  the  general  municipal
     6  law; or
     7    (B)  an  unincorporated association of persons operating its ambulance
     8  or ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of  the  members
     9  and their families or of the community; and
    10    (ii) "mobile crisis team" shall have the same meaning as mobile crisis
    11  teams as defined by paragraph eleven of subdivision (a) of section 36.03
    12  of the mental hygiene law[; and
    13    (iii)  "office  of  mental health and office of addiction services and
    14  supports" shall mean  the  autonomous  offices  established  within  the
    15  department  of  mental  hygiene  pursuant  to section 5.01 of the mental
    16  hygiene law].
    17    (c)(i) In addition to the  amber  light  authorized  to  be  displayed
    18  pursuant  to  paragraph  three  of  this  subdivision, one or more green
    19  lights or combination green and amber lights may be affixed to a  hazard
    20  vehicle  designed  for  ice  and  snow removal owned and operated by the
    21  state or by a county, city, town or village. Such green light or  lights
    22  may  be  displayed on a hazard vehicle designed for ice and snow removal
    23  owned and operated by the state or by a county, city,  town  or  village
    24  when  such  vehicle  is  engaged  in  a  hazardous operation and is also
    25  displaying the amber light or lights required to be displayed  during  a
    26  hazardous  operation  pursuant  to  paragraph three of this subdivision.
    27  Nothing contained in this subparagraph shall be deemed to authorize  the
    28  use of green lights on hazard vehicles designed for ice and snow removal
    29  owned  and  operated  by the state or by a county, city, town or village
    30  unless such hazard vehicles also display one or  more  amber  lights  as
    31  otherwise authorized in this subdivision.
    32    (ii)  The  commissioner  is  authorized  to promulgate rules and regu-
    33  lations relating to the use,  placement,  power  and  display  of  green
    34  lights  on  a hazard vehicle designed for ice and snow removal owned and
    35  operated by the state or by a county, city, town or village.
    36    § 2. The commissioner of motor  vehicles,  in  consultation  with  the
    37  office  of  mental health and office of addiction services and supports,
    38  shall ensure materials are provided  to  mobile  crisis  teams  for  the
    39  express  purpose  of  training  mobile crisis team members on the lawful
    40  operation of a vehicle while displaying  a  green  light  as  authorized
    41  pursuant  to paragraph 5 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of the vehicle
    42  and traffic law.
    43    § 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
    44  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the vehicle and traffic
    45  law  relating  to the display of green lights on the vehicles of members
    46  of mobile crisis teams, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 5397
    47  and A. 5604, takes effect.