NY State Senate Bill 2021-S5264

Senate Bill S5264

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to authorizing chief executives to designate any vehicle as an emergency vehicle during a state of emergency

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to transportation
Mar 01, 2021	referred to transportation

2021-S5264 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1274
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §101, V & T L; amd §24, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S6269, A8651
2017-2018: S2924, A4556, A8972
2019-2020: S1362, A7447
2023-2024: A225

2021-S5264 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to authorizing chief executives to designate any vehicle as an emergency vehicle during a state of emergency.

2021-S5264 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5264

SPONSOR: BROOKS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the executive law, in
relation to authorizing chief executives to designate any vehicle as an
emergency vehicle during a declaration of a disaster emergency by execu-
tive action or local state of emergency

 
PURPOSE:

To afford chief executives (county executives, city and village mayors
and town supervisors) the ability to designate, as deemed appropriate,
vehicle(s) as an authorized emergency vehicle in the event either the
governor or a local official declares a state of emergency.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the provision of the vehicle and traffic law, which
defines an authorized emergency vehicle, to include that a chief execu-

tive, as defined pursuant to section 20 of the executive, may authorize
any vehicle as an emergency vehicle during the governor's declaration of
a disaster emergency by executive action pursuant to section 28 of the
executive law or a local state of emergency pursuant to section 24 of
the executive law.

Section 2 amends the executive law governing local states of emergency
by clarifying that emergency vehicles shall mean such vehicles as
defined pursuant to section 101 of the vehicle and traffic law and that
a chief executive may provide, as part of their emergency order, for the
designation of any vehicle as an authorized emergency vehicle.

Section 3 adds a new paragraph g to section 24(1) of the executive law.
Section 4 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Emergency preparedness plans can only go so far as to anticipating
danger and the services needed during time of crisis. Storms and the
challenges attached to them are equally diverse. Due to this, expanded
emergency measures and deliveries of services can be beneficial.

This bill would connect community members with the types of services
needed during a state of emergency by authorizing applicable municipal
leaders to designate appropriate vehicle(s) as an emergency vehicle in
order to deliver services, if deemed necessary. The overarching goal of
this legislation is to better assist in ensuring safety during emergen-
cies. In allowing local leaders to make decisions based on what is best
for their communities, localities will be able to create specific
responses in emergencies based on what the needs of the communities are.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2016:A.8651

2017:A.4456

2018:A.8972
2019-2020: A.7447

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S5264 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5264
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BROOKS -- 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 and the  executive  law,  in
   relation  to  authorizing chief executives to designate any vehicle as
   an emergency vehicle during a declaration of a disaster  emergency  by
   executive action or local state of emergency
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 101 of the vehicle and traffic law, as  amended  by
 chapter 446 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
   §  101.  Authorized emergency vehicle. Every ambulance, police vehicle
 or bicycle, correction vehicle, fire vehicle,  civil  defense  emergency
 vehicle,  emergency  ambulance  service vehicle, blood delivery vehicle,
 county  emergency  medical  services  vehicle,  environmental  emergency
 response  vehicle,  sanitation patrol vehicle, hazardous materials emer-
 gency vehicle and ordnance disposal vehicle of the armed forces  of  the
 United  States AND ANY VEHICLE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE, AS DEFINED PURSUANT TO
 SECTION TWENTY OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW, AUTHORIZES AS AN EMERGENCY  VEHICLE
 DURING  THE  GOVERNOR'S DECLARATION OF A DISASTER EMERGENCY BY EXECUTIVE
 ACTION PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW OR A  LOCAL
 STATE  OF  EMERGENCY  AS  DEFINED PURSUANT TO SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THE
 EXECUTIVE LAW.
   § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 24 of the executive  law,
 as  added  by  chapter  640  of  the laws of 1978, is amended to read as
 follows:
   a. the establishment of a curfew and the prohibition  and  control  of
 pedestrian  and  vehicular traffic, except essential [emergency vehicles
 and personnel] AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY  VEHICLES  AS  DEFINED  PURSUANT  TO
 SECTION ONE HUNDRED ONE OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW;
   §  3. Paragraph g of subdivision 1 of section 24 of the executive law,
 as relettered by chapter 158 of the laws of 1994,  is  relettered  para-
 graph h and a new paragraph g is added to read as follows:
   G. THE DESIGNATION OF ANY VEHICLE AS AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE;
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01806-01-1

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