Bill Text: NY S09559 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Prohibits drivers of school buses that are carrying students from using hands-free mobile telephones and provides for certain exceptions.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S09559 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09559-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9559

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 16, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. COONEY, GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

        AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  drivers  of
          school  buses that are carrying students using hands-free mobile tele-
          phones

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

     1    Section  1. Subdivision 2 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic
     2  law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
     3    (e) No driver of a school  bus  as  defined  in  section  one  hundred
     4  forty-two  of this chapter shall use a hands-free mobile telephone while
     5  operating a school bus that is carrying students except in the  case  of
     6  an  emergency  pursuant  to  paragraph  (a) of subdivision three of this
     7  section or if the school bus is parked, for purposes other than dropping
     8  off or picking up students, at the side of, or off, a public highway  in
     9  a  location where such vehicle is not otherwise prohibited from stopping
    10  by law, rule, regulation or any lawful order or direction  of  a  police
    11  officer.
    12    §  2.  Subdivision 3 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic law,
    13  as added by chapter 69 of the laws  of  2001,  is  amended  to  read  as
    14  follows:
    15    3. Subdivision two of this section shall not apply to (a) the use of a
    16  mobile  telephone  for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the
    17  following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response opera-
    18  tor; a hospital, physician's  office  or  health  clinic;  an  ambulance
    19  company  or  corps;  a fire department, district or company; or a police
    20  department, (b) any of the following persons while in the performance of
    21  their official duties: a police officer or peace officer; a member of  a
    22  fire  department,  district or company; or the operator of an authorized
    23  emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this chapter,
    24  or (c) the use of a hands-free mobile telephone, except in the case of a
    25  driver operating a school bus pursuant to paragraph (e)  of  subdivision
    26  two of this section.
    27    §  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
    28  have become a law.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15643-01-4