NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1831

Senate Bill S1831

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a no fare program for certain police officers on the the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New York City Transit Authority

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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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 14, 2025	referred to transportation

2025-S1831 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1266, Pub Auth L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S6907
2023-2024: S2972

2025-S1831 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, and the New York City Transit Authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of certain active duty, uniform police officers.

2025-S1831 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1831

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New York city transit
authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of certain
active duty, uniform police officers

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would create no fare programs for transportation on the Long
Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad for police offi-
cers, establish and implement a similar program for transportation on
New York City Transit Authority systems, and establish safeguards for
eligibility for these programs.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 14 of section 1266 of the public authori-
ties law to expand the MTA's no-fare transportation program to the Metro

North Commuter Railroad. The amendments expand eligibility to all
trained and sworn police officers, as defined in section 1.20 of the
criminal procedure law, who are employed in good standing and have
active law enforcement responsibilities with the MTA district.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

While MTA ridership has remained far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,
the number of assaults on the subway have significantly increased. Over
all, the rate of felonies per million riders remains above pre- pandemic
levels. It is imperative that riders can travel safely through-out the
MTA system, particularly at a time when more people are returning to
in-person work, school, and other activities.  People will increasingly
turn to private cars, taxis, and ride-sharing services to avoid mass
transit if they do not feel it is safe. Providing active-duty police
officers with free rides on the Metro- North in addition to the Long
Island Rail Road will encourage these officers to use mass transit to
get to and from work, providing increased police presence on trains. The
presence of officers will deter crime and provide riders with an
increased sense of safety.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S6907/A7098A (2021-22): Referred to Transportation

S2972A (2023-24):  Referred to Transportation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect thirty days after it has become law.

2025-S1831 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1831
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the
   Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New  York  city  transit
   authority  establish  a  no  fare  program  for  the transportation of
   certain active duty, uniform police officers
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  14 of section 1266 of the public authorities
 law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2013, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   14.  Notwithstanding  any  other provisions of law or the terms of any
 contract, TO INCREASE PROTECTION AND IMPROVE SAFETY  FOR  ITS  CUSTOMERS
 AND EMPLOYEES, the authority[, in consultation with the Long Island Rail
 Road,]  shall  establish and implement a no fare program for transporta-
 tion on the Long Island Rail Road AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER  RAILROAD
 for TRAINED AND SWORN police officers [employed by the city of New York,
 county  of Nassau, Nassau county villages and cities, county of Suffolk,
 Suffolk county villages and towns, the division  of  state  police,  the
 port  authority  of  New  York  and New Jersey, the Metro-North Commuter
 Railroad Company, the New York city housing authority and the  New  York
 city  transit  authority],  AS  DEFINED  IN SECTION 1.20 OF THE CRIMINAL
 PROCEDURE LAW AND WHO ARE EMPLOYED IN  GOOD  STANDING  WITH  ACTIVE  LAW
 ENFORCEMENT  RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN COMMUTER TRANSPOR-
 TATION DISTRICT. In establishing such program, [which has  as  its  goal
 increased protection and improved safety for its commuters,] the author-
 ity [and the Long Island Rail Road] shall, among other things, consider:
 (a) requiring [police] SUCH officers [who ride without cost] to register
 with  the  Long  Island  Rail Road AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD
 COMPANY as a condition of riding without cost; (b) requiring such  offi-
 cers  WHEN  REGISTERING  to  [indicate during such registration process]
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01398-01-5

 S. 1831                             2
 
 STATE their regular working hours and the [Long Island Rail Road] trains
 that such officers expect to ride;  [and]  (c)  [periodically]  ANNUALLY
 re-registering [and re-validating] such officers; AND (D) REQUIRING SUCH
 OFFICERS  TO  PRESENT LAW ENFORCEMENT IDENTIFICATION ALONG WITH ANY PASS
 THE AUTHORITY MAY ISSUE IN RELATION TO THIS PROGRAM. The authority  [and
 the  Long  Island Rail Road] shall also have the power to consider other
 matters necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of this section.
 NOTHING IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL LIMIT THE AUTHORITY FROM PROVIDING  NO
 FARE  TRANSPORTATION ON ANY OF ITS SUBWAYS, BUSES OR COMMUTER TRAINS FOR
 POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK OR FOR POLICE  OFFICERS
 OR PEACE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE AUTHORITY OR ITS AFFILIATES.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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