S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8051
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 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 a chapter of the laws  of  2023  amending
 the  vehicle  and traffic law relating to the display of green lights on
 the vehicles of members of mobile crisis teams, as proposed in  legisla-
 tive bills numbers S. 5397 and A. 5604, 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] MOBILE
 CRISIS TEAM'S DIRECTOR OR  SIMILAR  ROLE,  PROVIDED  FURTHER  THAT  SUCH
 DIRECTOR  OR  SIMILAR  ROLE  OR THEIR SUCCESSOR MAY REVOKE SUCH AUTHORI-
 ZATION AT ANY TIME.  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 vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a member
 of a volunteer ambulance service or a member of a mobile crisis team  as
 provided  for  in  this  paragraph  except  as otherwise provided for in
 subparagraph [c] (C) of this paragraph.
   (b) As used in this paragraph  the  following  terms  shall  have  the
 following meanings:
   (i)  "volunteer ambulance service" means:  (A) a non-profit membership
 corporation (other  than  a  fire  corporation)  incorporated  under  or
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD08005-02-4
 S. 8051                             2
 
 subject  to  the  provisions  of the membership corporations 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, town or village
 pursuant to section one hundred twenty-two-b of  the  general  municipal
 law; or
   (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; AND
   (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. The commissioner of motor  vehicles,  in  consultation  with  the
 office  of  mental health and office of addiction services and supports,
 shall ensure materials are provided  to  mobile  crisis  teams  for  the
 express  purpose  of  training  mobile crisis team members on the lawful
 operation of a vehicle while displaying  a  green  light  as  authorized
 pursuant  to paragraph 5 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of the vehicle
 and traffic law.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the vehicle and traffic
 law  relating  to the display of green lights on the vehicles of members
 of mobile crisis teams, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 5397
 and A. 5604, takes effect.