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

                                  2156

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 15, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
  Committee on Transportation

AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in  relation  to  requiring  the
  provision  of  assistive  listening  systems  in New York state public
  transportation terminals

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

  Section  1.  The transportation law is amended by adding a new section
15-d to read as follows:
  S 15-D. ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM; ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS.
1. ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO
AIRPORTS, BUS STATIONS, REST AREAS, AND RAILROAD STATIONS LOCATED WITHIN
THE  STATE  SHALL BE EQUIPPED AND MAINTAINED WITH AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING
SYSTEM FOR USE BY PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD OF HEARING WHO REQUIRE THE USE  OF
SUCH  A  SYSTEM  TO IMPROVE THEIR RECEPTION OF SOUND. STANDARDS FOR SUCH
SYSTEMS SHALL BE DEVELOPED BY THE STATE  FIRE  PREVENTION  AND  BUILDING
CODE  COUNCIL  UPON RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD ON
ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS IN PLACES  OF  PUBLIC  ASSEMBLY,  AND  SHALL
PROVIDE FOR:
  (A)  ANNOUNCEMENTS TO PASSENGERS, INCLUDING EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS, TO
BE CAPTIONED IN REAL TIME ON SCREENS IN AIRPORTS AND RAIL STATIONS;
  (B) PROMINENTLY DISPLAY APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE AND USING SPECIFIC SYMBOLS
INDICATING THE TYPE OF ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS AVAILABLE; AND
  (C) MICROPHONE SYSTEMS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT A HEARING-AID  COMPATIBLE
ASSISTIVE  LISTENING  SYSTEM. DISPLAY THE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL FOR ASSISTIVE
LISTENING AT TICKETING AND INFORMATION BOOTHS AND THE AREAS WHERE IT  IS
AVAILABLE.
  2.  THE  COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGU-
LATIONS AS HE OR SHE DEEMS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
SUBDIVISION.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04180-01-5

              

A. 2156                             2

  3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION  SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  PRIVATE-USE
AIRPORTS OR RAILROAD TERMINALS.
  4. ALL FACILITIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE
A  COMPLIANT  ASSISTIVE  LISTENING  SYSTEM  INSTALLED  AND AVAILABLE FOR
PUBLIC USE BY A DATE NO LATER THAN THIRTY-SIX MONTHS AFTER THIS  SECTION
SHALL HAVE BECOME A LAW.
  5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
  A.  "AIRPORT" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVI-
SION FIVE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW;
  B. "ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN SITUATIONAL-PERSONAL ACOUS-
TIC COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO  IMPROVE  THE  TRANSMISSION  AND
AUDITORY RECEPTION OF SOUND. SUCH SYSTEM SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMIT-
ED  TO  THE  USE OF STANDARD AMPLITUDE MODULATION, FREQUENCY MODULATION,
INDUCTION LOOP, INFRARED SYSTEM  (IR),  OR  HARD  WIRED  INDUCTION  LOOP
SYSTEM;
  C.  "PRIVATE-USE"  REFERS TO AN AIRPORT TERMINAL, BUS STATION OR RAIL-
ROAD STATION USED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE OWNER THEREOF AND  PERSONS  AUTHOR-
IZED BY SUCH OWNER;
  D. "PUBLIC-USE" REFERS TO AN AIRPORT TERMINAL, BUS STATION, REST AREA,
RAILROAD  STATION  OR OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL AVAILABLE FOR
USE BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITHOUT A REQUIREMENT FOR THE  PRIOR  APPROVAL
OF  THE  OWNER  OR OPERATOR THEREOF EXCEPT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY FEDERAL
LAW OR REGULATION; AND
  E. "RAILROAD" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN  SECTION
TWO OF THIS CHAPTER.
  S 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 15-e to
read as follows:
  S 15-E. VISUAL EMERGENCY ALARM. 1. ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS
INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO AIRPORTS, BUS STATIONS, REST AREAS, AND
RAILROAD STATIONS SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH VISUAL  ALARM  ELEMENTS  SUFFI-
CIENT  TO  COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY FOR EMERGENCY EVACUATION MEASURES FOR
USE BY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING NO LATER  THAN  THIRTY-SIX
MONTHS AFTER THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE BECOME A LAW.
  2.  STANDARDS  FOR  SUCH  ALARMS  SHALL BE DEVELOPED BY THE STATE FIRE
PREVENTION AND BUILDING CODE COUNCIL UPON RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
THE ADVISORY BOARD ON ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS IN  PLACES  OF  PUBLIC
ASSEMBLY;  PROVIDED  THAT SUCH VISUAL ELEMENT SHALL NOT UTILIZE BLINKING
LIGHTS AND SHALL BE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE  THE  POSSIBILITY  OR  RISK  OF
TRIGGERING SEIZURES IN PERSONS WHO HAVE EPILEPSY OR PHOTOSENSITIVITY.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or
before such effective date.