S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    793
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LASHER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
   tion of autonomous taxicabs in a  city  having  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 397-d to read as follows:
   §  397-D. AUTONOMOUS TAXICABS. 1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW
 TO THE CONTRARY, NO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE MAY BE USED FOR TAXI,  LIVERY  OR
 TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY VEHICLE SERVICES IN ANY CITY WITH A POPU-
 LATION  OF  ONE MILLION OR MORE WITHOUT FIRST BEING DULY LICENSED BY THE
 NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION AS A TAXICAB AS  DEFINED  IN
 SECTION  ONE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT-A OF THIS CHAPTER AND SECTION 19-502 OF
 THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
   2. NO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SHALL BE LICENSED BY THE NEW YORK  CITY  TAXI
 AND  LIMOUSINE  COMMISSION  TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR HIRE OR PREAR-
 RANGED TRIPS, UNLESS AND UNTIL THE NEW  YORK  CITY  TAXI  AND  LIMOUSINE
 COMMISSION  ESTABLISHES  A  LICENSE FOR THE USE OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
 PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION. THE NEW  YORK  CITY  TAXI
 AND  LIMOUSINE  COMMISSION  SHALL  NOT LICENSE ANY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TO
 PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR HIRE OR PREARRANGED TRIPS UNLESS THAT VEHICLE
 IS A TAXICAB AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE  HUNDRED  FORTY-EIGHT-A  OF  THIS
 CHAPTER AND SECTION 19-502 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW
 YORK.
   3.  BEFORE  LICENSING AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS A TAXICAB, THE NEW YORK
 CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH A LICENSE FOR USE  OF
 AN  AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS A TAXICAB AND SHALL PROMULGATE RULES REGARDING
 SUCH LICENSE AND THE OPERATION OF AUTONOMOUS TAXICABS.  IN  PROMULGATING
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01307-01-5
 A. 793                              2
 
 SUCH  RULES, THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION SHALL, AT A
 MINIMUM, SET REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING:
   (A)  THE PROCESS FOR ISSUING A LICENSE TO USE AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS
 A TAXICAB;
   (B) THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH LICENSES ONLY TO  OWNERS  OF  TAXICAB  MEDAL-
 LIONS;
   (C)  THE  NUMBER OF SUCH LICENSES TO BE ISSUED AND ANY RESTRICTIONS ON
 THE NUMBER OF LICENSES THAT MAY BE ISSUED TO ANY ONE PERSON OR ENTITY;
   (D) THE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR USE OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS  A  TAXI-
 CAB;
   (E) THE INSURANCE REQUIRED TO USE AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS A TAXICAB;
   (F)  THE  REPORTING TO THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION
 OF TRIP AND REVENUE DATA, INCLUDING THE PICKUP  AND  DROP-OFF  LOCATION,
 MILEAGE, AND FARE FOR EACH TRIP;
   (G)  THE  VEHICLE  STANDARDS  FOR  SUCH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, INCLUDING
 WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE  VEHICLE  OR  A  LOW-  OR
 ZERO-EMISSIONS VEHICLE; AND
   (H)  SUCH  OTHER RULES AS THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMIS-
 SION CONSIDERS TO BE NECESSARY FOR THE SAFE AND ORDERLY USE OF AN AUTON-
 OMOUS VEHICLE AS A TAXICAB.
   4. THE NEW YORK CITY TAXI  AND  LIMOUSINE  COMMISSION  SHALL  DENY  AN
 APPLICATION  FOR A LICENSE FOR USE OF AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AS A TAXICAB
 IF SUCH VEHICLE OR APPLICANT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF  THE  NEW
 YORK  CITY  TAXI  AND  LIMOUSINE COMMISSION AND, AFTER DUE NOTICE AND AN
 OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD, MAY SUSPEND OR REVOKE A LICENSE FOR FAILURE  TO
 COMPLY WITH SUCH RULES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.