S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    985
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. STECK, COOK, CRUZ, DeSTEFANO, HYNDMAN, SANTABAR-
   BARA, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON, STERN, WALSH -- read once and referred to  the
   Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to pre-arranged
   for-hire  vehicle  transportation  services  and  the  maximization of
   universal design and accessibility by persons with disabilities
 
   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
 the "Accessible Livery Act".
   § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
 1220-d to read as follows:
   §  1220-D.  UNIVERSAL  ACCESSIBILITY  IN FOR-HIRE VEHICLES. 1. FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A)  "PRE-ARRANGED  FOR-HIRE  VEHICLE"  SHALL  MEAN  A  MOTOR VEHICLE,
 DESIGNED TO CARRY NO MORE THAN NINE PASSENGERS (EXCLUDING  THE  DRIVER),
 THAT IS USED IN THE BUSINESS OF TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS FOR COMPENSATION
 ON  A  PRE-ARRANGED BASIS, AND OPERATED IN SUCH BUSINESS UNDER A LICENSE
 OR PERMIT ISSUED BY A LICENSING  JURISDICTION.  THE  TERM  "PRE-ARRANGED
 FOR-HIRE  VEHICLE"  SHALL APPLY TO VEHICLES AS DEFINED IN THIS PARAGRAPH
 REGARDLESS OF ANY OTHER PROVISION OF  LOCAL  LAW  OR  RULE  DEFINING  OR
 DESCRIBING  SUCH VEHICLES BY ANY OTHER TERMS SUCH AS LIVERY, TAXI, BLACK
 CAR, OR LUXURY LIMOUSINE.
   (B) "PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE VEHICLE OWNER OR OPERATOR" SHALL  MEAN  THE
 REGISTERED  OWNER OF A PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE VEHICLE, OR A DULY LICENSED
 DRIVER DESIGNATED BY SUCH REGISTERED OWNER OR OPERATOR  TO  OPERATE  THE
 REGISTERED  OWNER'S  OR  OPERATOR'S PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE VEHICLE AS THE
 REGISTERED OWNER'S OR OPERATOR'S AUTHORIZED DESIGNEE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03127-01-5
              

 A. 985                              2
 
   (C) "UNIVERSAL DESIGN" OR "UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED" SHALL MEAN THE DESIGN
 OF PRODUCTS AND ENVIRONMENTS TO BE USABLE BY ALL PEOPLE, TO THE GREATEST
 EXTENT POSSIBLE, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ADAPTATION OR SPECIALIZED DESIGN.
   (D) "ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE" SHALL MEAN A VEHICLE THAT:
   (I) COMPLIES WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMERICANS WITH
 DISABILITIES  ACT  OF  1990, AS AMENDED, AND THE REGULATIONS PROMULGATED
 THEREUNDER;
   (II) IS EQUIPPED WITH A LIFT, RAMP OR ANY OTHER DEVICE, ARRANGEMENT OR
 ALTERATION, SO IT IS CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING INDIVIDUALS WHO USE  WHEEL-
 CHAIRS,  SCOOTERS,  OR  OTHER  MOBILITY AIDS WHILE THEY REMAIN SEATED IN
 THEIR WHEELCHAIRS, SCOOTERS, OR OTHER MOBILITY AIDS;
   (III) IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM FOR PERSONS  WITH
 HEARING  IMPAIRMENTS THAT IS CONNECTED WITH ANY INTERCOM, VIDEO OR AUDIO
 SYSTEM, WHEN SUCH A SYSTEM IS INSTALLED;
   (IV) IS EQUIPPED WITH STANDARDIZED SIGNS PRINTED IN:(A)  BRAILLE;  AND
 (B)  LARGE-PRINT TEXT SO THAT SUCH SIGNS ARE VISIBLE TO PERSONS WITH LOW
 VISION;
   (V) PROVIDES SUFFICIENT FLOOR SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE A  SERVICE  ANIMAL;
 AND
   (VI) IF POWERED BY A HYBRID-ELECTRIC MOTOR, IS EQUIPPED WITH AN APPRO-
 PRIATE  DEVICE  TO  ENABLE PERSONS WHO ARE BLIND TO HEAR THE APPROACH OF
 THE VEHICLE AS READILY AS THEY CAN HEAR A CONVENTIONAL  GASOLINE-POWERED
 VEHICLE.
   2.  (A) EVERY PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE VEHICLE OWNER OR OPERATOR WITH NOT
 MORE THAN TEN FOR-HIRE VEHICLES SHALL:
   (I) PURCHASE OR LEASE AT LEAST ONE UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE
 VEHICLE UPON ITS NEXT ACQUISITION OF A VEHICLE AFTER THE FIFTH YEAR FROM
 THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF  TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-
 FIVE THAT ADDED THIS SECTION; AND
   (II)  ENSURE  THAT  WHEN ADVERTISING THEIR SERVICES SUBSEQUENT TO SUCH
 PURCHASE, THE AVAILABILITY OF UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE  VEHI-
 CLES IS ALSO ADVERTISED.
   (B)  EVERY  PRE-ARRANGED  FOR-HIRE  VEHICLE OWNER OR OPERATOR WITH NOT
 LESS THAN ELEVEN OR MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FOR-HIRE VEHICLES SHALL:
   (I) PURCHASE OR LEASE UNIVERSALLY  DESIGNED  AND  ACCESSIBLE  VEHICLES
 WHEN  ACQUIRING VEHICLES UNTIL NOT LESS THAN TWENTY PERCENT OF THE FLEET
 IS UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE. IN NO  EVENT  SHALL  SUCH  FLEET
 HAVE  LESS THAN TWENTY PERCENT UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE VEHI-
 CLES FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER OF THE  LAWS  OF
 TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE THAT ADDED THIS SECTION; AND
   (II)  ENSURE  THAT  WHEN ADVERTISING THEIR SERVICES SUBSEQUENT TO SUCH
 PURCHASE THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF UNIVERSALLY  DESIGNED  AND  ACCESSIBLE
 VEHICLES IS ALSO ADVERTISED.
   (C)  EVERY  PRE-ARRANGED  FOR-HIRE  VEHICLE OWNER OR OPERATOR PROVIDER
 WITH NOT LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED FOR-HIRE VEHICLES SHALL:
   (I) PURCHASE OR LEASE UNIVERSALLY  DESIGNED  AND  ACCESSIBLE  VEHICLES
 WHEN  ACQUIRING  VEHICLES UNTIL NOT LESS THAN TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE
 FLEET IS UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED OR ACCESSIBLE. IN  NO  EVENT  SHALL  THEIR
 FLEET HAVE LESS THAN TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCES-
 SIBLE  VEHICLES  THREE  YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHAPTER OF
 THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE THAT ADDED THIS SECTION;
   (II) INCREASE THEIR PERCENTAGE OF UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND  ACCESSIBLE
 VEHICLES TO A MINIMUM OF FIFTY PERCENT OF THE FLEET WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF
 THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF THE CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-
 FIVE THAT ADDED THIS SECTION; AND
 A. 985                              3
 
   (III) ENSURE THAT WHEN ADVERTISING THEIR SERVICES SUBSEQUENT  TO  SUCH
 PURCHASE  THAT  THE  AVAILABILITY OF UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE
 VEHICLES IS ALSO ADVERTISED.
   (D) ALL PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE VEHICLE OWNERS AND OPERATORS SHALL MAIN-
 TAIN  THE PERCENTAGES OF UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED AND ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES IN
 THEIR SERVICE WHICH, ACCORDING TO THEIR SIZE AT  ANY  GIVEN  TIME,  THEY
 WOULD  HAVE  BEEN  REQUIRED TO PURCHASE BY THE SPECIFIED DEADLINES UNDER
 SUBPARAGRAPHS (A), (B) AND (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   3. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL  CONSTITUTE  A VIOLATION PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT LESS
 THAN FIFTY DOLLARS AND NOT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS  PER  DAY
 FROM  THE  DATE  A  VIOLATION  OCCURRED UNTIL THE DATE SUCH VIOLATION IS
 CURED. A VIOLATION MAY ALSO BE  GROUNDS  FOR  REVOCATION  OR  DENIAL  OF
 LICENSING  OR  REGISTRATION,  OR  RENEWAL  THEREOF,  UNDER  SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED ONE OF THIS CHAPTER. THE LOCAL  AND  STATE  AUTHORITIES  CHARGED
 WITH ISSUING PERMITS, LICENSES AND REGISTRATION OF PRE-ARRANGED FOR-HIRE
 VEHICLES  AND  SHUTTLE SERVICES SHALL REQUIRE PROOF PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF
 SUCH PERMIT, LICENSE OR REGISTRATION, OR RENEWAL THEREOF, OF  COMPLIANCE
 WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   §  3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law.