S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    517
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2017
                                ___________
 
 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:
   § 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.
                                                            LBD01778-01-7
              

 A. 517                              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.
   § 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 15-e to
 read as follows:
   § 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.
   § 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.