S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6711
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBER  -- 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  authorizing
   local  school  districts and municipalities to determine and establish
   school speed limits

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Subdivision (a) of section 1620 of the vehicle and traffic
 law, as amended by chapter 563 of the laws of 2002, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   (a)  The  department  of transportation with respect to state highways
 maintained by the state outside of cities having a population in  excess
 of  one million, and highways on Indian reservations, may by order, rule
 or regulation establish higher or lower maximum speed  limits  at  which
 vehicles may proceed on or along such highways than the fifty-five miles
 per  hour  statutory  maximum  speed  limit. No such maximum speed limit
 shall be established at less than twenty-five  miles  per  hour,  except
 that  school  speed  limits  may be established at not less than fifteen
 miles per hour, for a distance not to exceed one thousand three  hundred
 twenty feet, on a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of
 a school abutting on the highway.  THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MUNICI-
 PALITY  WITHIN  WHICH  A SCHOOL IS LOCATED SHALL DETERMINE AND ESTABLISH
 THE MAXIMUM SPEED AT WHICH VEHICLES MAY PROCEED ON A HIGHWAY LOCATED  IN
 A SCHOOL ZONE. Absence of signs installed pursuant to this section shall
 be  presumptive  evidence  that the department of transportation has not
 established a higher maximum speed limit than the fifty-five  miles  per
 hour statutory limit.
   §  2. Subdivision 1 of section 1622 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
 amended by chapter 563 of the laws  of  2002,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04046-01-5
 S. 6711                             2
              

 
   1.  Establish maximum speed limits at which vehicles may proceed on or
 along such highways higher or lower than the fifty-five miles  per  hour
 statutory  maximum  speed  limit.  No such limit shall be established at
 less than twenty-five miles per hour, except that  school  speed  limits
 may  be  established  at  not  less  than  fifteen miles per hour, for a
 distance not to exceed one thousand three  hundred  twenty  feet,  on  a
 highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting
 on the highway.  THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MUNICIPALITY WITHIN WHICH
 A  SCHOOL  IS LOCATED SHALL DETERMINE AND ESTABLISH THE MAXIMUM SPEED AT
 WHICH VEHICLES MAY PROCEED ON A HIGHWAY LOCATED IN A SCHOOL ZONE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.