Provides that the thruway authority shall issue permits for ambulances and fire vehicles for toll exemptions, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    34
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS, LUPARDO, BUTTENSCHON, SHIMSKY, LEVENBERG,
   SIMON,  OTIS, LUNSFORD, DE LOS SANTOS, ZACCARO, JACOBSON, BLANKENBUSH,
   GALLAHAN, TAGUE, BRABENEC, MAHER, DeSTEFANO, ANGELINO, BERGER, PAULIN,
   WILLIAMS, BLUMENCRANZ, REYES, GANDOLFO,  BEEPHAN,  MANKTELOW,  JENSEN,
   GIBBS,  SEAWRIGHT,  LUCAS,  SIMPSON,  SANTABARBARA,  TAYLOR, LEMONDES,
   STIRPE, BARRETT, COOK, SAYEGH, WOERNER,  WALSH,  COLTON,  EICHENSTEIN,
   KELLES,  STECK  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on Corpo-
   rations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the  issuance
   of permits to exempt ambulances and fire vehicles from paying tolls on
   the New York state thruway when engaged in an emergency operation
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 378-a of  the  public  authorities
 law,  as  added by chapter 23 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. The authority is hereby authorized and directed to  [issue  refunds
 for tolls incurred by ambulances or fire vehicles engaged in an emergen-
 cy  operation,  or,  at the option of the authority, to] issue emergency
 services permits for use by ambulances and  fire  vehicles  which  shall
 provide  for travel at no charge between interchanges and barriers while
 such vehicles are engaged in an emergency operation, PROVIDED  THAT  THE
 AUTHORITY IS AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO ISSUE REFUNDS FOR TOLLS INCURRED
 BY  SUCH  AMBULANCES AND FIRE VEHICLES ENGAGED IN AN EMERGENCY OPERATION
 WHILE THE APPLICABLE APPLICATION FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES PERMITS IS PEND-
 ING.  THE AUTHORITY SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS  ESTABLISHING
 THE  PROCESS  BY  WHICH  SUCH AMBULANCES AND FIRE VEHICLES CAN APPLY FOR
 EMERGENCY SERVICES PERMITS. For  purposes  of  this  section,  the  term
 "ambulance"  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as such term is defined by
 section one hundred-b of the vehicle and traffic  law,  the  term  "fire
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00222-01-5
 A. 34                               2
 
 vehicle"  shall have the same meaning as such term is defined by section
 one hundred fifteen-a of the vehicle  and  traffic  law,  and  the  term
 "emergency  operation"  shall  have  the  same  meaning  as such term is
 defined  by  section  one  hundred fourteen-b of the vehicle and traffic
 law. In any rules and regulations promulgated for the implementation  of
 this  section,  the authority may establish the type of documentation or
 other proof satisfactory to the authority  that  an  ambulance  or  fire
 vehicle  was  engaged  in  an emergency operation at the time a toll was
 incurred.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.