S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5397
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 3, 2023
                                ___________
 
 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 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 amended by chapter 504  of  the  laws  of  2022,  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 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 except as otherwise provided for  in  subparagraph  c  of
 this paragraph.
   (b)  As  used  in this paragraph [volunteer] THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL
 HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (I) "VOLUNTEER ambulance [service] SERVICE" means: [(i)]  (A)  a  non-
 profit  membership  corporation (other than a fire corporation) incorpo-
 rated under or subject to the provisions of the membership  corporations
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08005-01-3
              

 S. 5397                             2
 
 law,  or  any other law, operating its ambulance or ambulances on a non-
 profit basis for the convenience of the members thereof and their  fami-
 lies  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
   [(ii)] (B) an unincorporated  association  of  persons  operating  its
 ambulance or ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the
 members and their families or of the community[.];
   (II) "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
   (III)  "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.
   (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. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.