S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4014

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              April 7, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. MORAHAN -- 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  the  defi-
  nition of electric assisted bicycle

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
section 102-c to read as follows:
  S 102-C. ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICYCLE. A BICYCLE WITH TWO OR THREE WHEELS
WHICH  HAS  A SADDLE AND FULLY OPERATIVE PEDALS FOR HUMAN PROPULSION AND
ALSO HAS AN ELECTRIC MOTOR.   THE ELECTRIC ASSISTED  BICYCLE'S  ELECTRIC
MOTOR SHALL: HAVE A POWER OUTPUT OF NOT MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND WATTS; BE
INCAPABLE  OF PROPELLING THE DEVICE AT A SPEED OF MORE THAN TWENTY MILES
PER HOUR ON LEVEL GROUND; AND BE INCAPABLE  OF  FURTHER  INCREASING  THE
SPEED  OF THE DEVICE WHEN HUMAN POWER IS USED TO PROPEL THE DEVICE AT OR
MORE THAN TWENTY MILES PER HOUR.
  S 2. Section 125 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter
365 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
  S 125. Motor vehicles. Every vehicle operated or driven upon a  public
highway  which  is  propelled  by  any  power other than muscular power,
except (a) electrically-driven mobility assistance devices  operated  or
driven  by a person with a disability, (a-1) electric personal assistive
mobility devices operated outside  a  city  with  a  population  of  one
million  or  more, (b) vehicles which run only upon rails or tracks, (c)
snowmobiles as defined in article forty-seven of this chapter, [and] (d)
all terrain  vehicles  as  defined  in  article  forty-eight-B  of  this
chapter,  AND  (E)  ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICYCLES AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE
HUNDRED TWO-C OF THIS ARTICLE. For the purposes of title  four  of  this
chapter,  the  term motor vehicle shall exclude fire and police vehicles
other than ambulances.  For the purposes of titles four and five of this
chapter the term motor vehicles shall exclude farm type tractors and all

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD03706-02-9
              

S. 4014                             2

terrain type vehicles used exclusively for agricultural purposes, or for
snow plowing, other than for hire, farm equipment,  including  self-pro-
pelled machines used exclusively in growing, harvesting or handling farm
produce,  and self-propelled caterpillar or crawler-type equipment while
being operated on the contract site.
  S 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
1238-a to read as follows:
  S  1238-A. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICY-
CLES, OPERATORS AND PASSENGERS. 1. IN ADDITION TO COMPLYING WITH ALL  OF
THE  RULES,  REGULATIONS AND PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO BICYCLES CONTAINED
IN THIS ARTICLE, AN ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICYCLE AS DEFINED IN SECTION  ONE
HUNDRED  TWO-C  OF THIS CHAPTER SHALL COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING REQUIRE-
MENTS:
  (A) MEET THE EQUIPMENT AND  MANUFACTURING  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  BICYCLES
ADOPTED  BY THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, ET
SEQ.) OR THE REQUIREMENTS ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION (49  C.F.R.  571.1,  ET  SEQ.)  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE
NATIONAL  TRAFFIC  AND  MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT OF 1966 (15 U.S.C. SEC.
1381, ET SEQ.) FOR MOTOR DRIVEN CYCLES; AND
  (B) OPERATE IN A MANNER SO THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR  IS  DISENGAGED  OR
CEASES  TO  FUNCTION WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, OR OPERATE IN A MANNER
SUCH THAT THE MOTOR IS ENGAGED THROUGH A SWITCH OR MECHANISM THAT,  WHEN
RELEASED,  WILL  CAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO DISENGAGE OR CEASE TO FUNC-
TION.
  2.  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  PROVISIONS   OF   SECTION   TWELVE   HUNDRED
THIRTY-EIGHT  OF  THIS ARTICLE, NO PERSON LESS THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE
SHALL OPERATE OR RIDE AS A PASSENGER UPON AN ELECTRIC ASSISTED  BICYCLE,
AND  NO PERSON SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER SHALL ALLOW ANY PERSON LESS
THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE TO OPERATE OR RIDE AS A  PASSENGER  UPON  SUCH
BICYCLE.
  3.  NO PERSON SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER SHALL OPERATE OR RIDE AS A
PASSENGER ON AN ELECTRIC ASSISTED BICYCLE UNLESS SUCH PERSON IS  WEARING
A  HELMET  MEETING  STANDARDS  ESTABLISHED  BY THE COMMISSIONER. FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, WEARING A HELMET MEANS HAVING A HELMET  OF
GOOD  FIT  FASTENED  SECURELY ON THE HEAD OF SUCH WEARER WITH THE HELMET
STRAPS SECURELY FASTENED.
  4. (A) ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES THE PROVISIONS OF  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OR
THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  PAY  A  CIVIL  FINE NOT TO EXCEED FIFTY
DOLLARS.
  (B) THE COURT SHALL WAIVE ANY FINE FOR WHICH A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THE
PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION WOULD BE LIABLE IF  SUCH
PERSON  SUPPLIES THE COURT WITH PROOF THAT BETWEEN THE DATE OF VIOLATION
AND THE APPEARANCE DATE FOR SUCH  VIOLATION  SUCH  PERSON  PURCHASED  OR
RENTED A HELMET.
  (C)  THE  COURT MAY WAIVE ANY FINE FOR WHICH A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THE
PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION WOULD BE LIABLE  IF  THE
COURT  FINDS  THAT  DUE  TO REASONS OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP SUCH PERSON WAS
UNABLE TO PURCHASE A HELMET OR DUE TO SUCH ECONOMIC HARDSHIP SUCH PERSON
WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A HELMET FROM THE STATEWIDE IN-LINE SKATE AND BICY-
CLE HELMET DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM, AS ESTABLISHED IN SECTION  TWO  HUNDRED
SIX OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH LAW, OR A LOCAL DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM.
  5.  THE  FAILURE  OF  ANY PERSON TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
SECTION SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE  OR  ASSUMPTION  OF
RISK,  AND SHALL NOT IN ANY WAY BAR, PRECLUDE OR FORECLOSE AN ACTION FOR
PERSONAL INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH BY OR ON BEHALF OF SUCH PERSON, NOR IN
ANY WAY DIMINISH OR REDUCE THE DAMAGES RECOVERABLE IN ANY SUCH ACTION.

S. 4014                             3

  6. A POLICE OFFICER SHALL ONLY ISSUE A  SUMMONS  FOR  A  VIOLATION  OF
SUBDIVISION  TWO  OR THREE OF THIS SECTION BY A PERSON LESS THAN SIXTEEN
YEARS OF AGE TO THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF SUCH PERSON IF  THE  VIOLATION
BY SUCH PERSON OCCURS IN THE PRESENCE OF SUCH PERSON'S PARENT OR GUARDI-
AN  AND  WHERE SUCH PARENT OR GUARDIAN IS EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR MORE.
SUCH SUMMONS SHALL ONLY BE ISSUED TO SUCH PARENT OR GUARDIAN, AND  SHALL
NOT BE ISSUED TO THE PERSON LESS THAN SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
  S 4.  This act shall take effect immediately.