S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2615
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in  relation  to  requiring
   the  commissioner  of motor vehicles to create a bicycle with electric
   assist battery swapping pilot program in a city with a  population  of
   one million or more

   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  a  new
 section 1244 to read as follows:
   §  1244.  BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST BATTERY SWAPPING PILOT PROGRAM.
 1.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "BATTERY SWAPPING STATION" SHALL  MEAN
 A  LOCATION  WHERE  BICYCLE  WITH  ELECTRIC ASSIST BATTERIES ARE STORED,
 CHARGED, AND AVAILABLE  FOR  BICYCLE  WITH  ELECTRIC  ASSIST  RIDERS  TO
 EXCHANGE.
   2.  (A) THE COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 TRANSPORTATION  OF  THE CITY OF NEW YORK, SHALL ESTABLISH A BICYCLE WITH
 ELECTRIC ASSIST BATTERY SWAPPING PILOT PROGRAM IN A CITY  WITH  A  POPU-
 LATION  OF ONE MILLION OR MORE NO LATER THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EFFEC-
 TIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   (B) BATTERY SWAPPING STATIONS SHALL BE LOCATED AT  ALL  DEPARTMENT  OF
 MOTOR  VEHICLES  LOCATIONS IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR
 MORE.  AT SUCH BATTERY SWAPPING STATIONS, BICYCLE WITH  ELECTRIC  ASSIST
 RIDERS  SHALL  BE  ABLE  TO EXCHANGE THEIR DRAINED BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC
 ASSIST BATTERY FOR A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY.
   (C) IN ORDER TO UTILIZE SUCH A BATTERY  SWAPPING  STATION,  A  BICYCLE
 WITH  ELECTRIC  ASSIST  RIDER SHALL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A ONE-TIME RENTAL
 FEE TO THE DEPARTMENT. AFTER PAYMENT OF SUCH FEE, A BICYCLE  WITH  ELEC-
 TRIC ASSIST RIDER SHALL BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST
 BATTERIES AS OFTEN AS NEEDED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05746-01-5
              

 A. 2615                             2
 
   3.  THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK SHALL PROVIDE GUIDANCE
 ON FIRE SAFETY AND PREVENTION RELATING TO BICYCLE WITH  ELECTRIC  ASSIST
 BATTERIES, AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL FOLLOW SUCH GUIDELINES IN CREATING
 THE  BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST PILOT PROGRAM AND IN THE ESTABLISHMENT
 AND MAINTENANCE OF BATTERY SWAPPING STATIONS.
   4.  SUCH  PILOT  PROGRAM SHALL CONTINUE FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR AFTER
 ITS ESTABLISHMENT. NO LATER THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
 THIS  SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPO-
 RARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  ON  THE
 RESULTS  OF  SUCH  PILOT PROGRAM AND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE
 ACTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.