S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8524
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 8, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- 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  display
   of blue lights on the vehicles of mobile crisis response staff members
 
   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  two  new
 sections 109-d and 109-e to read as follows:
   §  109-D.  MOBILE  CRISIS  RESPONSE SERVICES.   SERVICES TO PROVIDE AN
 IMMEDIATE AND SHORT-TERM EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN  A
 STATE OF MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISTRESS IN ORDER TO
 PREVENT A CRITICAL INCIDENT.
   §  109-E. MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE STAFF MEMBER. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AN
 EMPLOYEE OR A DESIGNATED VOLUNTEER OF A DULY  AUTHORIZED  MOBILE  CRISIS
 RESPONSE TEAM OR OTHER ESTABLISHED CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICE.
   § 2. Subparagraph a of paragraph 4 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of
 the  vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 1 of part C of chap-
 ter 58 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   a. One blue light may be affixed to  any  motor  vehicle  owned  by  a
 volunteer  member  of  a  fire department OR BY A MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE
 STAFF MEMBER or on a motor vehicle owned by a member  of  such  person's
 family  residing  in  the  same household or by a business enterprise in
 which such person has a proprietary interest or by which he  or  she  is
 employed,  provided such volunteer firefighter OR MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE
 STAFF MEMBER has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue light  by
 the  chief  of  the  fire  department or company of which he or she is a
 member, OR THE ADMINISTRATOR OF A MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE  SERVICE  which
 authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time by the chief OR
 ADMINISTRATOR  who  issued  the  same or his or her successor in office.
 Such blue light may be displayed exclusively  by  such  volunteer  fire-
 fighter  OR  MOBILE  CRISIS RESPONSE STAFF MEMBER on such a vehicle only
 when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of blue lights on  vehi-
 cles  shall  be  restricted  for  use only by a volunteer firefighter OR
 MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE STAFF MEMBER except as otherwise provided for  in
 subparagraphs b and b-1 of this paragraph.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14380-02-2

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8524--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 8, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --  commit-
   tee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the  display
   of  green  lights  on  the  vehicles  of  mobile crisis response staff
   members

   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 vehi-
 cle and traffic law, as added by chapter 197 of the laws of 1970 and the
 opening 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 vehicle
 owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service OR BY A MOBILE CRISIS
 RESPONSE  STAFF  MEMBER, 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 designated by the members thereof. Such green
 light  may  be displayed exclusively by such member of a volunteer ambu-
 lance service OR BY A MOBILE CRISIS  RESPONSE  STAFF  MEMBER  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  OR  FOR A MOBILE CRISIS
 RESPONSE STAFF MEMBER  PROVIDING  MOBILE  CRISIS  RESPONSE  SERVICES  AS
 DEFINED IN SUBPARAGRAPHS C AND D 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
 families  or  of  the community or under a contract with a county, city,
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14380-03-2
              

 S. 8524--A                          2
 
 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. AS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH, MOBILE CRISIS  RESPONSE  SERVICES  MEANS
 SERVICES  TO  PROVIDE  AN IMMEDIATE AND SHORT-TERM EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO
 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN A STATE OF MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND BEHAV-
 IORAL DISTRESS IN ORDER TO PREVENT A CRITICAL INCIDENT.
   D. AS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH,  MOBILE  CRISIS  RESPONSE  STAFF  MEMBER
 MEANS  AN  INDIVIDUAL  WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OR A DESIGNATED VOLUNTEER OF A
 DULY AUTHORIZED MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM OR OTHER ESTABLISHED  CRISIS
 RESPONSE SERVICE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8524--B
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 8, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --  commit-
   tee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
   mitted to  said  committee  --  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 display
   of green lights on the vehicles of members of mobile crisis teams
 
   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. One green light may be affixed to  any  motor  vehicle
 owned  by  a member of a volunteer ambulance service OR BY A MEMBER OF A
 MOBILE CRISIS TEAM, 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 OF
 A VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE has been authorized in writing to so affix
 a green light by the chief officer of such service as designated by  the
 members  thereof,  OR  PROVIDED  SUCH MEMBER OF A MOBILE CRISIS TEAM HAS
 BEEN AUTHORIZED IN WRITING TO SO AFFIX A GREEN LIGHT BY  THE  OFFICE  OF
 MENTAL  HEALTH  OR  THE  OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. Such
 green light may be displayed exclusively by such member of  a  volunteer
 ambulance  service,  OR  A MEMBER OF A DEPLOYED MOBILE CRISIS TEAM, only
 when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of green lights on vehi-
 cles shall be restricted for use only by a member of a  volunteer  ambu-
 lance  service  OR  A  MEMBER OF A MOBILE CRISIS TEAM as provided for in
 this paragraph.
   As used in this paragraph THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS: A. "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  corporations  law,
 or  any other law, operating its ambulance or ambulances on a non-profit
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14380-08-2
 S. 8524--B                          2
 
 basis for the convenience of the members thereof and their  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;
   B.  "MOBILE  CRISIS TEAM" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS MOBILE CRISIS
 TEAMS AS DEFINED BY PARAGRAPH ELEVEN OF SUBDIVISION (A) OF SECTION 36.03
 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE LAW; AND
   C. OFFICE OF MENTAL  HEALTH  AND  OFFICE  OF  ADDICTION  SERVICES  AND
 SUPPORTS  SHALL  MEAN  THE  AUTONOMOUS  OFFICES  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN THE
 DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE PURSUANT TO  SECTION  5.01  OF  THE  MENTAL
 HYGIENE LAW.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.