NY State Senate Bill 2023-S9224A

Senate Bill S9224A

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Establishes "Elijah's law"; and directs the commissioner of the department of motor vehicles to conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of certain vehicles

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
May 07, 2024	print number 9224a
May 07, 2024	amend and recommit to transportation
May 06, 2024	referred to transportation

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2023-S9224 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10120
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §502, V & T L

2023-S9224 - Summary

Increases driver safety training course requirements for D, M, and MJ license applicants; directs the commissioner of the department of motor vehicles to study the operation and safety of motorcycles, e-bikes, and scooters.

2023-S9224 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9224

SPONSOR: MURRAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
"Elijah's law"; and directing the commissioner of the department of
motor vehicles to conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of
certain vehicles

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to establish "Elijah's law"' and directs the
commissioner of the department of motor vehicles to conduct a study
analyzing the operation and use of certain vehicles."

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 provides that this act shall be known as "Elijah's Law."

Section 2 amends section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law to require
that Class M Motorcycle license applicants must provide proof of at

least ten hours actual road experience operating a motorcycle under the
supervision of a driving school instructor or other motorcycle safety
driving course instructor approved by the NYS Department of Motor Vehi-
cles.

Sections 3 & 4 amend section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, to
require that Class MJ Motorcycle license applicants must submit proof of
completion of the NY Safety Council's defensive driving course, the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation's motorcycle basic rider course, or a simi-
lar course approved by the NYS Education Department and the NYS Depart-
ment of Motor Vehicles. This section also requires that MJ Motorcycle
license applicants must provide proof of at least fifteen hours actual
road experience operating a motorcycle.

Section 5 of the bill would authorize and direct the NYS Department of
Motor Vehicles commissioner to conduct a study and promulgate recommen-
dations that shall focus on the operation and use of the following vehi-
cles: standard motorcycles, heavy motorcycles, mopeds, other light
motorcycles, electric bikes in classes 1,2,3 and 4 and electric and
non-electric powered scooters.

The study shall examine the prevalence of ownership and use of all such
vehicles in the state, as well as the incidents and trends of violations
of traffic laws and crashes involving all such vehicles.

The commissioner shall be authorized and directed to promulgate recom-
mendations based on the results of the study. Such recommendations shall
include but not be limited to: increased safety education course
requirements for permit and license applications for operation of such
vehicles, increased age restrictions in operation of any of such types
of vehicles, implementation or enhancement of safety gear requirements
for operation of all such vehicles.

A report of the findings of such study and recommendations of the
commissioner shall be delivered to the governor, the temporary president
of the senate and the speaker of the assembly within six months from the
effective date of this act.
Section 6 of the bill provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

On a clear and sunny Saturday afternoon on May, 26th, 2023, Twenty year
old, Elijah Hadzilcostas while attending the University of Buffalo for
Mechanical Engineering and aspiring an apprenticeship with Tesla in
Texas, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident.  Elijah was
Licensed and Insured as well as wearing an approved DOT safety helmet.

It is believed that the accident that took Elijah's life was caused by
in-experience and that if the requirements to obtain a motorcycle permit
or license were inclusive of some increased training and some actual
road training that this tragedy may have been avoided.

Even worse is that Elijah only had the motorcycle for twenty minutes as
he had just purchased it and it was his first and only motorcycle.  Soon
after he purchased the motorcycle while riding on Interstate 1-990 in
Amherst, NY, he lost control of the bike and crashed.

In addition to requiring actual on-road experience and additional motor-
cycle course safety training prior to getting a motorcycle license, this
bill will direct an important study of the use of motorcycles and other
motorized vehicles including mopeds, electric bikes and powered scoot-
ers. The study will result in proposals to update licensing, permitting,
and other safety requirements for these types of vehicles, which are
becoming more dangerous on the streets due to the fact that laws and
regulations are not uniform across the state.  Inexperienced operators
of these types of vehicles have caused dangerous crashes on the roadways
and sidewalks seriously injuring themselves or others as a result.

This bill is a way to save lives caused by inexperienced motorcycle
operators due to a lack of adequate training, road test policies and
testing prior to granting a motorcycle license.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law; provided that the amendments to paragraph (d) of subdivi-
sion 2 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law made by section
three of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of
such subdivision pursuant to section 3 of chapter 368 of the laws of
2019, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section four of
this act shall take effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.

2023-S9224 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9224
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MURRAY -- 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 establishing
   "Elijah's law"; and directing the commissioner of  the  department  of
   motor  vehicles  to conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of
   certain vehicles

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Elijah's law".
   § 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle  and
 traffic  law,  as amended by chapter 215 of the laws of 2010, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (c) An applicant for a class D or M license shall be at least eighteen
 years of age[, except that an  application  shall  be  accepted  if  the
 applicant  is at least seventeen years of age and submits]. AN APPLICANT
 FOR A CLASS M LICENSE MUST SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF AT LEAST TEN HOURS
 EXPERIENCE OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE UNDER THE  SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING
 SCHOOL  INSTRUCTOR  OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR
 APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT. ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT acceptable  proof
 of  successful  completion of a driver education course, approved by the
 state education department and the commissioner, and proof of completion
 of the minimum hours of supervised driving as required in paragraph  (d)
 of this subdivision.
   §  3. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle and
 traffic law, as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2019,  is  amended
 to read as follows:
   (d)  An  applicant  for  a  class  DJ  or MJ license shall be at least
 sixteen years of age and such applicant must submit written  consent  to
 the issuance of such license by the applicant's parent or guardian. Upon
 receipt  of  withdrawal  of  such  consent,  any class DJ or MJ license,
 learner's permit or license application shall be cancelled. No class  DJ
 or MJ license shall be issued unless the applicant presents, at the time
 of  the  road test administered pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD15399-03-4
 S. 9224                             2
 
 four of this section, a written certification by the applicant's  parent
 or guardian: (i) that such applicant has operated a motor vehicle for no
 less  than  fifty  hours, at least fifteen hours of which shall be after
 sunset, under the immediate supervision of a person as authorized pursu-
 ant  to  subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subdivi-
 sion five of section five hundred one of this article, a  driver  educa-
 tion  teacher  pursuant  to section eight hundred six-a of the education
 law or a driving school instructor pursuant to  subdivision  seven-a  of
 section  three  hundred  ninety-four  of  this chapter; and (ii) if such
 applicant completed an internet delivered pre-licensing course  approved
 by  the  commissioner  pursuant  to  article [twelve-d] TWELVE-D of this
 chapter, that such applicant participated  throughout  such  course.  AN
 APPLICANT FOR A CLASS MJ LICENSE MUST ALSO SUBMIT PROOF OF COMPLETION OF
 THE  NEW  YORK SAFETY COUNCIL'S DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, THE MOTORCYCLE
 SAFETY FOUNDATION'S MOTORCYCLE BASIC RIDER COURSE OR  A  SIMILAR  COURSE
 APPROVED  BY  THE  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER. AN
 APPLICANT FOR AN MJ LICENSE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF
 OF AT LEAST FIFTEEN HOURS EXPERIENCE OPERATING A  MOTORCYCLE  UNDER  THE
 SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
 DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 4. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle  and
 traffic  law,  as amended by chapter 403 of the laws of 2009, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (d) An applicant for a class DJ  or  MJ  license  shall  be  at  least
 sixteen  years  of age and such applicant must submit written consent to
 the issuance of such license by the applicant's parent or guardian. Upon
 receipt of withdrawal of such consent,  any  class  DJ  or  MJ  license,
 learner's  permit or license application shall be cancelled. No class DJ
 or MJ license shall be issued unless the applicant presents, at the time
 of the road test administered pursuant to paragraph (b)  of  subdivision
 four  of this section, a written certification by the applicant's parent
 or guardian that such applicant has operated a motor vehicle for no less
 than fifty hours, at least fifteen hours of which shall be after sunset,
 under the immediate supervision of a person as  authorized  pursuant  to
 subparagraph  (ii) of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subdivision five
 of section five hundred one of this article, a driver education  teacher
 pursuant  to section eight hundred six-a of the education law or a driv-
 ing school instructor pursuant to subdivision seven-a of  section  three
 hundred ninety-four of this chapter. AN APPLICANT FOR A CLASS MJ LICENSE
 MUST  ALSO  SUBMIT  PROOF OF COMPLETION OF THE NEW YORK SAFETY COUNCIL'S
 DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, THE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION'S  MOTORCYCLE
 BASIC  RIDER  COURSE OR A SIMILAR COURSE APPROVED BY THE STATE EDUCATION
 DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER. AN APPLICANT FOR AN MJ LICENSE SHALL BE
 REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF AT LEAST FIFTEEN HOURS EXPERIENCE
 OPERATING A  MOTORCYCLE  UNDER  THE  SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING  SCHOOL
 INSTRUCTOR OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR APPROVED
 BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  5.  1.  The  commissioner of the department of motor vehicles shall
 conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of standard motorcycles,
 heavy motorcycles, mopeds, other light motorcycles,  electric  bikes  in
 classes  1,  2,  3 and 4 and electric and non-electric powered scooters.
 Such study shall examine:
   a. The prevalence of ownership and use of all  such  vehicles  in  the
 state; and
   b.  The incidents and trends of violations of traffic laws and crashes
 involving all such vehicles.
 S. 9224                             3
 
   2. The commissioner shall make a report of the findings of such study,
 including any recommendations. Such recommendations may include, but not
 be limited to:
   a.  Increased  safety  education  course  requirements  for permit and
 license applications for operation of the vehicles studied;
   b. Increased age restrictions in operation of any  of  such  types  of
 vehicles; and
   c.  The  implementation or enhancement of safety gear requirements for
 operation of all such vehicles.
   3. The commissioner's recommendations and a report on such study shall
 be provided to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the tempo-
 rary president of the senate within six months of the effective date  of
 this act.
   §  6.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law; provided that the  amendments  to  paragraph  (d)  of
 subdivision  2  of  section  502  of the vehicle and traffic law made by
 section three of this act shall be subject to the expiration and  rever-
 sion  of such paragraph pursuant to section 3 of chapter 368 of the laws
 of 2019, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section  four
 of  this  act  shall  take  effect. Effective immediately, the addition,
 amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary  for  the
 implementation  of  this  act on its effective date are authorized to be
 made and completed on or before such effective date.

2023-S9224A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10120
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §502, V & T L

2023-S9224A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S9224A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9224A

SPONSOR: MURRAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to establishing
"Elijah's law"; and directing the commissioner of the department of
motor vehicles to conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of
certain vehicles

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to establish "Elijah's law"' and directs the
commissioner of the department of motor vehicles to conduct a study
analyzing the operation and use of certain vehicles."

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 provides that this act shall be known as "Elijah's Law."

Section 2 amends section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law to require
that Class M Motorcycle license applicants must submit proof of

completion of the NY Safety Council's defensive driving course, the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation's motorcycle basic rider course, or a simi-
lar course approved by the NYS Education Department and the NYS Depart-
ment of Motor Vehicles. It also requires that Class M Motorcycle appli-
cants must provide proof of at least ten hours actual road experience
operating a motorcycle under the supervision of a driving school
instructor or other motorcycle safety driving course instructor approved
by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.

Sections 3 & 4 amend section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, to
require that Class MJ Motorcycle license applicants must submit proof of
completion of the NY Safety Council's defensive driving course, the
Motorcycle Safety Foundation's motorcycle basic rider course, or a simi-
lar course approved by the NYS Education Department and the NYS Depart-
ment of Motor Vehicles. This section also require s that MJ Motorcycle
license applicants must provide proof of at least fifteen hours actual
road experience operating a motorcycle.

Section 5 of the bill would authorize and direct the NYS Department of
Motor Vehicles commissioner to conduct a study and promulgate recommen-
dations that shall focus on the operation and use of the following vehi-
cles: standard motorcycles, heavy motorcycles, mopeds, other light
motorcycles, electric bikes in classes 1,2,3 and 4 and electric and
non-electric powered scooters.

The study shall examine the prevalence of ownership and use of all such
vehicles in the state, as well as the incidents and trends of violations
of traffic laws and crashes involving all such vehicles.  The commis-
sioner shall be authorized and directed to promulgate recommendations
based on the results of the study. Such recommendations shall include
but not be limited to: increased safety education course requirements
for permit and license applications for operation of such vehicles,
increased age restrictions in operation of any of such types of vehi-
cles, implementation or enhancement of safety gear requirements for
operation of all such vehicles.


A report of the findings of such study and recommendations of the
commissioner shall be delivered to the governor, the temporary president
of the senate and the speaker of the assembly within six months from the
effective date of this act.

Section 6 of the bill provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

On a clear and sunny Saturday afternoon on May, 26th, 2023, Twenty year
old, Elijah Hadzikostas while attending the University of Buffalo for
Mechanical Engineering and aspiring an apprenticeship with Tesla in
Texas, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Elijah was
Licensed and Insured as well as wearing an approved DOT safety helmet.

It is believed that the accident that took Elijah's life was caused by
in-experience and that if the requirements to obtain a motorcycle permit
or license were inclusive of some increased training and some actual
road training that this tragedy may have been avoided.

Even worse is that Elijah only had the motorcycle for twenty minutes as
he had just purchased it and it was his first and only motorcycle.  Soon
after he purchased the motorcycle while riding on Interstate 1-990 in
Amherst, NY, he lost control of the bike and crashed.

In addition to requiring actual on-road experience and additional motor-
cycle course safety training prior to getting a motorcycle license, this
bill will direct an important study of the use of motorcycles and other
motorized vehicles including mopeds, electric bikes and powered scoot-
ers. The study will result in proposals to update licensing, permitting,
and other safety requirements for these types of vehicles, which are
becoming more dangerous on the streets due to the fact that laws and
regulations are not uniform across the state.  Inexperienced operators
of these types of vehicles have caused dangerous crashes on the roadways
and sidewalks seriously injuring themselves or others as a result.

This bill is a way to save lives caused by inexperienced motorcycle
operators due to a lack of adequate training, road test policies and
testing prior to granting a motorcycle license.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is a new bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law; provided that the amendments to paragraph (d) of subdivi-
sion 2 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law made by section
three of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of
such subdivision pursuant to section 3 of chapter 368 of the laws of
2019, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section four of
this act shall take effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.

2023-S9224A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  9224--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 6, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MURRAY -- 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 establishing
   "Elijah's law"; and directing the commissioner of  the  department  of
   motor  vehicles  to conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of
   certain vehicles
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 "Elijah's law".
   § 2. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle  and
 traffic  law,  as amended by chapter 215 of the laws of 2010, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (c) An applicant for a class D or M license shall be at least eighteen
 years of age[, except that an  application  shall  be  accepted  if  the
 applicant  is at least seventeen years of age and submits]. AN APPLICANT
 FOR A CLASS M LICENSE MUST SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF AT LEAST TEN HOURS
 EXPERIENCE OPERATING A MOTORCYCLE UNDER THE  SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING
 SCHOOL  INSTRUCTOR  OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR
 APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT. AN APPLICANT FOR A CLASS M LICENSE MUST ALSO
 SUBMIT PROOF OF COMPLETION OF THE NEW YORK  SAFETY  COUNCIL'S  DEFENSIVE
 DRIVING  COURSE,  THE  MOTORCYCLE  SAFETY  FOUNDATION'S MOTORCYCLE BASIC
 RIDER COURSE OR A SIMILAR COURSE APPROVED BY THE STATE EDUCATION DEPART-
 MENT AND THE COMMISSIONER. ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT  acceptable  proof
 of  successful  completion of a driver education course, approved by the
 state education department and the commissioner, and proof of completion
 of the minimum hours of supervised driving as required in paragraph  (d)
 of this subdivision.
   §  3. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle and
 traffic law, as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2019,  is  amended
 to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15399-04-4

 S. 9224--A                          2
 
   (d)  An  applicant  for  a  class  DJ  or MJ license shall be at least
 sixteen years of age and such applicant must submit written  consent  to
 the issuance of such license by the applicant's parent or guardian. Upon
 receipt  of  withdrawal  of  such  consent,  any class DJ or MJ license,
 learner's  permit or license application shall be cancelled. No class DJ
 or MJ license shall be issued unless the applicant presents, at the time
 of the road test administered pursuant to paragraph (b)  of  subdivision
 four  of this section, a written certification by the applicant's parent
 or guardian: (i) that such applicant has operated a motor vehicle for no
 less than fifty hours, at least fifteen hours of which  shall  be  after
 sunset, under the immediate supervision of a person as authorized pursu-
 ant  to  subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subdivi-
 sion five of section five hundred one of this article, a  driver  educa-
 tion  teacher  pursuant  to section eight hundred six-a of the education
 law or a driving school instructor pursuant to  subdivision  seven-a  of
 section  three  hundred  ninety-four  of  this chapter; and (ii) if such
 applicant completed an internet delivered pre-licensing course  approved
 by  the  commissioner  pursuant  to  article [twelve-d] TWELVE-D of this
 chapter, that such applicant participated  throughout  such  course.  AN
 APPLICANT FOR A CLASS MJ LICENSE MUST ALSO SUBMIT PROOF OF COMPLETION OF
 THE  NEW  YORK SAFETY COUNCIL'S DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, THE MOTORCYCLE
 SAFETY FOUNDATION'S MOTORCYCLE BASIC RIDER COURSE OR  A  SIMILAR  COURSE
 APPROVED  BY  THE  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER. AN
 APPLICANT FOR AN MJ LICENSE SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF
 OF AT LEAST FIFTEEN HOURS EXPERIENCE OPERATING A  MOTORCYCLE  UNDER  THE
 SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY
 DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 4. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 2 of section 502 of the vehicle  and
 traffic  law,  as amended by chapter 403 of the laws of 2009, is amended
 to read as follows:
   (d) An applicant for a class DJ  or  MJ  license  shall  be  at  least
 sixteen  years  of age and such applicant must submit written consent to
 the issuance of such license by the applicant's parent or guardian. Upon
 receipt of withdrawal of such consent,  any  class  DJ  or  MJ  license,
 learner's  permit or license application shall be cancelled. No class DJ
 or MJ license shall be issued unless the applicant presents, at the time
 of the road test administered pursuant to paragraph (b)  of  subdivision
 four  of this section, a written certification by the applicant's parent
 or guardian that such applicant has operated a motor vehicle for no less
 than fifty hours, at least fifteen hours of which shall be after sunset,
 under the immediate supervision of a person as  authorized  pursuant  to
 subparagraph  (ii) of paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) of subdivision five
 of section five hundred one of this article, a driver education  teacher
 pursuant  to section eight hundred six-a of the education law or a driv-
 ing school instructor pursuant to subdivision seven-a of  section  three
 hundred ninety-four of this chapter. AN APPLICANT FOR A CLASS MJ LICENSE
 MUST  ALSO  SUBMIT  PROOF OF COMPLETION OF THE NEW YORK SAFETY COUNCIL'S
 DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, THE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION'S  MOTORCYCLE
 BASIC  RIDER  COURSE OR A SIMILAR COURSE APPROVED BY THE STATE EDUCATION
 DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER. AN APPLICANT FOR AN MJ LICENSE SHALL BE
 REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF OF AT LEAST FIFTEEN HOURS EXPERIENCE
 OPERATING A  MOTORCYCLE  UNDER  THE  SUPERVISION  OF  A  DRIVING  SCHOOL
 INSTRUCTOR OR OTHER MOTORCYCLE SAFETY DRIVING COURSE INSTRUCTOR APPROVED
 BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   §  5.  1.  The  commissioner of the department of motor vehicles shall
 conduct a study analyzing the operation and use of standard motorcycles,
 S. 9224--A                          3
 
 heavy motorcycles, mopeds, other light motorcycles,  electric  bikes  in
 classes  1,  2,  3 and 4 and electric and non-electric powered scooters.
 Such study shall examine:
   a.  The  prevalence  of  ownership and use of all such vehicles in the
 state; and
   b. The incidents and trends of violations of traffic laws and  crashes
 involving all such vehicles.
   2. The commissioner shall make a report of the findings of such study,
 including any recommendations. Such recommendations may include, but not
 be limited to:
   a.  Increased  safety  education  course  requirements  for permit and
 license applications for operation of the vehicles studied;
   b. Increased age restrictions in operation of any  of  such  types  of
 vehicles; and
   c.  The  implementation or enhancement of safety gear requirements for
 operation of all such vehicles.
   3. The commissioner's recommendations and a report on such study shall
 be provided to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the tempo-
 rary president of the senate within six months of the effective date  of
 this act.
   §  6.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law; provided that the  amendments  to  paragraph  (d)  of
 subdivision  2  of  section  502  of the vehicle and traffic law made by
 section three of this act shall be subject to the expiration and  rever-
 sion  of such paragraph pursuant to section 3 of chapter 368 of the laws
 of 2019, as amended, when upon such date the provisions of section  four
 of  this  act  shall  take  effect. Effective immediately, the addition,
 amendment and/or repeal of any rule  or  regulation  necessary  for  the
 implementation  of  this  act on its effective date are authorized to be
 made and completed on or before such effective date.

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