Bill Text: NY S08051 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
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
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 of15mental 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. LBD08005-02-4S. 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[; and13(iii) "office of mental health and office of addiction services and14supports" shall mean the autonomous offices established within the15department of mental hygiene pursuant to section 5.01 of the mental16hygiene 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.