S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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3532--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 30, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sens. KENNEDY, GALLIVAN, SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Trans-
portation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the use of
green lights on municipal hazard vehicles designed for ice and snow
removal and in relation to the operation of vehicles when approaching
such a parked, stopped or standing hazard vehicle
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraph 5 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of the vehicle
and traffic law, as added by chapter 197 of the laws of 1970, the open-
ing paragraph as amended by chapter 349 of the laws of 2004, is amended
to read as follows:
5. Green light. (A) One green light may be affixed to any motor vehi-
cle owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service, or on a motor
vehicle owned by a member of such person's family, or by a business
enterprise in which such person has a proprietary interest or by which
he is employed, provided such member has been authorized in writing to
so affix a green light by the chief officer of such service as desig-
nated by the members thereof. Such green light may be displayed exclu-
sively by such member of a volunteer ambulance service only when engaged
in an emergency operation. The use of green lights on vehicles shall be
restricted for use only by a member of a volunteer ambulance service as
provided for in this paragraph EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR IN
SUBPARAGRAPH C OF THIS PARAGRAPH.
(B) As used in this paragraph volunteer ambulance service means: [a.]
(I) a non-profit membership corporation (other than a fire corporation)
incorporated under or subject to the provisions of the membership corpo-
rations law, or any other law, operating its ambulance or ambulances on
a non-profit basis for the convenience of the members thereof and their
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02241-03-1
S. 3532--A 2
families or of the community or under a contract with a county, city,
town or village pursuant to section one hundred twenty-two-b of the
general municipal law; or
[b.] (II) an unincorporated association of persons operating its ambu-
lance or ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the
members and their families or of the community.
(C)(I) IN ADDITION TO THE AMBER LIGHT AUTHORIZED TO BE DISPLAYED
PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION, ONE OR MORE GREEN
LIGHTS OR COMBINATION GREEN AND AMBER LIGHTS MAY BE AFFIXED TO A HAZARD
VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE
STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE. SUCH GREEN LIGHT OR LIGHTS
MAY BE DISPLAYED ON A HAZARD VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL
OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE
WHEN SUCH VEHICLE IS ENGAGED IN A HAZARDOUS OPERATION AND IS ALSO
DISPLAYING THE AMBER LIGHT OR LIGHTS REQUIRED TO BE DISPLAYED DURING A
HAZARDOUS OPERATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH THREE OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SUBPARAGRAPH SHALL BE DEEMED TO AUTHORIZE THE
USE OF GREEN LIGHTS ON HAZARD VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL
OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE
UNLESS SUCH HAZARD VEHICLES ALSO DISPLAY ONE OR MORE AMBER LIGHTS AS
OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
(II) THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGU-
LATIONS RELATING TO THE USE, PLACEMENT, POWER AND DISPLAY OF GREEN
LIGHTS ON A HAZARD VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL OWNED AND
OPERATED BY THE STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE.
§ 2. Subdivision (b) of section 1144-a of the vehicle and traffic law,
as amended by section 3 of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) Every operator of a motor vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid
colliding with a hazard vehicle which is parked, stopped or standing on
the shoulder or on any portion of such highway and such hazard vehicle
is displaying one or more amber lights pursuant to the provisions of
paragraph three of subdivision forty-one of section three hundred seven-
ty-five of this chapter or, if such hazard vehicle is designed for the
towing or pushing of disabled vehicles such hazard vehicle is displaying
one or more amber lights or one or more blue or combination blue and
amber lights pursuant to the provisions of paragraph three or subpara-
graph b-1 of paragraph four, as applicable, of subdivision forty-one of
section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter OR, IF SUCH HAZARD
VEHICLE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR
VILLAGE IS DESIGNED FOR THE REMOVAL OF ICE AND SNOW SUCH HAZARD VEHICLE
IS DISPLAYING ONE OR MORE AMBER LIGHTS OR ONE OR MORE GREEN OR COMBINA-
TION GREEN AND AMBER LIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH
THREE OR SUBPARAGRAPH (C) OF PARAGRAPH FIVE, AS APPLICABLE, OF SUBDIVI-
SION FORTY-ONE OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER.
For operators of motor vehicles on parkways or controlled access high-
ways, such due care shall include, but not be limited to, moving from a
lane which contains or is immediately adjacent to the shoulder where (i)
such hazard vehicle displaying one or more amber lights pursuant to the
provisions of paragraph three of subdivision forty-one of section three
hundred seventy-five of this chapter or (ii) such hazard vehicle
designed for the towing or pushing of disabled vehicles displaying one
or more amber lights or one or more blue or combination blue and amber
lights pursuant to the provisions of paragraph three or subparagraph b-1
of paragraph four, as applicable, of subdivision forty-one of section
three hundred seventy-five of this chapter OR (III) SUCH HAZARD VEHICLE
S. 3532--A 3
OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OR BY A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE IS
DISPLAYING ONE OR MORE AMBER LIGHTS OR ONE OR MORE GREEN OR COMBINATION
GREEN AND AMBER LIGHTS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH THREE OR
SUBPARAGRAPH (C) OF PARAGRAPH FIVE, AS APPLICABLE, OF SUBDIVISION
FORTY-ONE OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER, is
parked, stopped or standing to another lane, provided that such movement
otherwise complies with the requirements of this chapter including, but
not limited to, the provisions of sections eleven hundred ten and eleven
hundred twenty-eight of this title.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.