NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2516

Senate Bill S2516

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Prohibits the metropolitan transportation authority from establishing certain limitations relating to wheeled carts and the amount of time customers may remain in certain areas of subway stations

download bill text pdf

Current 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 03, 2024	referred to transportation
Jan 23, 2023	referred to transportation

2023-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2567
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:: Add §1266-m, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S3226, A6169

2023-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the metropolitan transportation authority from establishing certain limitations relating to wheeled carts and the amount of time customers may remain in certain areas of subway stations and from ejecting customers for blocking free movement in a station or on a stairway, elevator, escalator, platform or conveyance.

2023-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2516

SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to prohibiting
the authority from establishing certain limitations relating to wheeled
carts and the amount of time fare paying customers may remain in certain
areas of subway stations and from ejecting fare paying customers for
blocking free movement

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To address discriminatory MTA rulings against the homeless which did not
follow proper public hearing law.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the public authorities law by adding a new section 1266
which prohibits the authority from: limiting the size of wheeled carts
allowed at facilities and conveyances of the authority; limiting the
length of time a fare paying customer may remain in a paid fare zone of

a subway station, and ejecting fare paying customers for blocking free
movement in a station or on a stairway, elevator, escalator; platform.
or conveyance.

Section 2 states this act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic the MTA board adopted emergency rules
explicitly targeting and discriminating against the homeless. On Septem-
ber 22nd 2020 the MTA moved to make April anti homeless emergency rules
permanent. The MTA afforded the public no opportunity for public comment
on the rule changes. The hearing at which the rules were adopted was not
advertised in the state register. The only advertisement of any opportu-
nity to continent on the rule change was in fine print in the NYS regis-
ter in April, during the emergency rules adoption. As a result, the
public, homeless people and advocates had no opportunity to provide
input when these changes became permanent. Yet the MTA has justified its
adoption by noting the lack of public comment against it.

Further, these rules make it possible for the transit adjudication bur
eau to assume summons or eject anyone who is a fare paying rider who is
occupying public space on a tram platform Rue suchas prohibiting wheeled
carts that are more than 30 inches wide or prohibiting fare riders from
being in a station for more than one hour target and discriminate
against homeless people using subway stations for safety. warmth andtor
shelter.

These most egregious rulings are part of a greater history and broader
campaign to aggressively push the homeless from subways. This legis-
lation not only aims to reverse the most recent discriminatory rulings
made but goes further to push back against broader MIA anti-homelessness
policy.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022 S3226
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S2516 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2516
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation  to  prohibiting
   the  authority  from  establishing  certain  limitations  relating  to
   wheeled carts and the amount of time fare paying customers may  remain
   in  certain  areas  of  subway  stations and from ejecting fare paying
   customers for blocking free movement
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public  authorities  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 1266-m to read as follows:
   § 1266-M. PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN ACTIONS BY THE AUTHORITY. THE AUTHOR-
 ITY SHALL NOT:
   (A) LIMIT THE SIZE OF WHEELED CARTS ALLOWED AT FACILITIES AND  CONVEY-
 ANCES OF THE AUTHORITY;
   (B)  LIMIT  THE  LENGTH OF TIME A FARE PAYING CUSTOMER MAY REMAIN IN A
 PAID FAIR ZONE OF A SUBWAY STATION;
   (C) EJECT FARE PAYING  CUSTOMERS  FOR  BLOCKING  FREE  MOVEMENT  IN  A
 STATION  OR  ON A STAIRWAY, ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR, PLATFORM OR CONVEYANCE.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,  THE  TERM  "BLOCKING  FREE  MOVEMENT"
 SHALL  MEAN  INTERFERING  WITH OR IMPEDING THE MOVEMENT OF PASSENGERS OR
 PERSONNEL OF THE AUTHORITY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06084-01-3

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