NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7027

Senate Bill S7027

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Adds an additional two non-voting members to the metropolitan transportation authority board who represent the police force of such 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
Mar 28, 2025	referred to transportation

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2025-S7027 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Public Authorities Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1263, Pub Auth L

2025-S7027 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Adds an additional two non-voting members to the metropolitan transportation authority board, one who is the police chief of the MTA police department and the other who is chosen by the labor organization representing the majority of employees of the police department of the authority.

2025-S7027 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7027

SPONSOR: CHAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to adding an
additional two non-voting members to the metropolitan transportation
authority board who represent the police force of such authority

 
PURPOSE:

To ensure the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police Depart-
ment is represented on the MTA Board by adding two non-voting members:
the police chief of the authority (or designee), and a representative
recommended by the labor organization representing the majority of MTA
police employees.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

- Section 1 amends subdivision 1, paragraph (a), subparagraphs 1 and 2
of Section 1263 of the Public Authorities Law to increase the number of
non-voting MTA board members from two to four, adding:

- The MTA police chief or their designee, and

- A labor representative for MTA police employees.

- Sections 2 and 3 amend subdivision 4, paragraph (b) of Section 1263 to
add both of these non-voting members to the MTA Board's Committee on
Safety, which is charged with reviewing customer, employee, and public
safety across MTA services.

- Section 4 sets the bill's effective date as January 1 following its
enactment.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The MTA Police Department plays a vital role in protecting the safety of
over 8.5 million daily riders and the infrastructure of one of the larg-
est transit systems in the world. However, despite their unique role,
the police force currently has no direct voice on the MTA Board.

This legislation gives law enforcement leadership and representation a
seat at the table by formally involving the MTA Police Department in
board discussions and committee work. The inclusion of both the police
chief (or designee) and a labor representative will:

- Promote coordination on safety planning and incident response,

- Incorporate frontline experience into decision-making,

- Elevate public and employee safety as a board-level priority,

- Ensure transparency and collaboration across MTA divisions.

This change aligns MTA Police with other stakeholder groups already
represented on the board, such as transit workers and commuter councils.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal. These members are non-voting and will not require additional
compensation or staffing.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

2025-S7027 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7027
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 28, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CHAN  --  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  adding  an
   additional  two  non-voting members to the metropolitan transportation
   authority board who represent the police force of such authority

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of
 section 1263 of the public authorities law, subparagraph 1 as amended by
 chapter 68 and subparagraph 2 as amended by chapter 631 of the  laws  of
 2024, are amended to read as follows:
   (1)  There is hereby created the "metropolitan transportation authori-
 ty."  The authority shall be a body corporate and politic constituting a
 public benefit corporation. The authority  shall  consist  of  a  chair-
 person, sixteen other voting members, and [two] FOUR non-voting and four
 alternate  non-voting  members, as described in subparagraph two of this
 paragraph appointed by the governor by and with the advice  and  consent
 of  the  senate.  Any  member appointed to a term commencing on or after
 June thirtieth, two thousand nine shall have experience in one  or  more
 of  the following areas: transportation, public administration, business
 management, finance, accounting, law, engineering, land use,  urban  and
 regional   planning,   management   of  large  capital  projects,  labor
 relations, PUBLIC SAFETY, or have  experience  in  some  other  area  of
 activity  central  to  the mission of the authority. Four of the sixteen
 voting members other than the chairperson  shall  be  appointed  on  the
 written recommendation of the mayor of the city of New York; and each of
 seven other voting members other than the chairperson shall be appointed
 after  selection  from  a written list of three recommendations from the
 chief executive officer of the county in which the particular member  is
 required  to  reside  pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision. Of
 the members appointed on recommendation of the chief  executive  officer
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07091-01-5

 S. 7027                             2
 
 of  a  county,  one  such member shall be, at the time of appointment, a
 resident of the county of Nassau,  one  a  resident  of  the  county  of
 Suffolk,  one a resident of the county of Westchester, one a resident of
 the  county  of  Dutchess, one a resident of the county of Orange, one a
 resident of the county of Putnam and one a resident  of  the  county  of
 Rockland,  provided  that  the term of any member who is a resident of a
 county that has withdrawn from the metropolitan commuter  transportation
 district pursuant to section twelve hundred seventy-nine-b of this title
 shall terminate upon the effective date of such county's withdrawal from
 such  district.  Of the five voting members, other than the chairperson,
 appointed by the governor without recommendation from any other  person,
 three shall be, at the time of appointment, residents of the city of New
 York  and  two  shall  be, at the time of appointment, residents of such
 city or of any of the aforementioned counties in the metropolitan commu-
 ter transportation district. Provided however, notwithstanding the fore-
 going residency requirement, one of the five voting members appointed by
 the governor without recommendation from any other  person,  other  than
 the  chairperson,  may be the director of the New York state division of
 the budget, and provided further that, in the event of such appointment,
 the budget director's membership in the authority shall be deemed ex-of-
 ficio. Provided further, one of the twelve voting  members,  other  than
 the chairperson, appointed by the governor without recommendation by any
 other  person,  or on the recommendation of the mayor of the city of New
 York, or of the chief executive officer of the counties of  Westchester,
 Nassau,  or  Suffolk shall be a transit dependent individual. A "transit
 dependent individual" shall mean an individual who is limited to  public
 transit  as  their primary mode of transportation because the individual
 has a permanent disability, provided that any local or statewide transit
 advocacy organization may recommend one or more transit dependent  indi-
 viduals  to  be considered for appointment pursuant to this section. The
 chairperson and each of the members shall be appointed for a term of six
 years, provided however, that  the  chairperson  first  appointed  shall
 serve  for  a  term  ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-one,
 provided that thirty days after the effective date of the chapter of the
 laws of two thousand nine which amended this subparagraph, the  term  of
 the  chairperson  shall expire; provided, further, that such chairperson
 may continue to discharge the duties of [his or her] SUCH  CHAIRPERSON'S
 office until the position of chairperson is filled by appointment by the
 governor  upon the advice and consent of the senate and the term of such
 new chairperson shall terminate June thirtieth,  two  thousand  fifteen.
 The  sixteen other members first appointed shall serve for the following
 terms: The members from the counties of  Nassau  and  Westchester  shall
 each  serve  for  a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-
 five; the members from the county of Suffolk and from  the  counties  of
 Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland shall each serve for a term ending
 June   thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred  ninety-two;  two  of  the  members
 appointed on recommendation of the mayor of the city of New  York  shall
 each  serve  for  a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-
 four and, two shall each serve for a term ending June  thirtieth,  nine-
 teen  hundred  eighty-one;  two of the members appointed by the governor
 without the recommendation of any other person shall each  serve  for  a
 term  ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-two, two shall each
 serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty and  one
 shall  serve  for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-
 five. The [two] FOUR non-voting and four  alternate  non-voting  members
 shall  serve until January first, two thousand one. The members from the
 S. 7027                             3
 
 counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland shall cast one collec-
 tive vote.
   (2)  There  shall  be [two] FOUR non-voting members and four alternate
 non-voting members of the authority, as referred to in subparagraph  one
 of this paragraph.
   The  first  non-voting  member shall be a regular mass transit user of
 the facilities of the authority and be recommended to  the  governor  by
 the  New  York city transit authority advisory council. The first alter-
 nate non-voting member shall be a  regular  mass  transit  user  of  the
 facilities  of  the  authority and be recommended to the governor by the
 Metro-North commuter council. The  second  alternate  non-voting  member
 shall  be a regular mass transit user of the facilities of the authority
 and be recommended  to  the  governor  by  the  Long  Island  Rail  Road
 commuter's council.
   The  second  non-voting member shall be recommended to the governor by
 the labor organization representing the majority  of  employees  of  the
 Long  Island  Rail  Road. The third alternate non-voting member shall be
 recommended to the governor by the labor organization  representing  the
 majority of employees of the New York city transit authority. The fourth
 alternate  non-voting member shall be recommended to the governor by the
 labor organization representing the majority of employees of the  Metro-
 North  Commuter Railroad Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of
 law, the alternate non-voting member recommended by the labor  organiza-
 tion  representing the majority of employees of the Metro-North Commuter
 Railroad Company may be a resident of any state in which the Metro-North
 Commuter Railroad Company operates. The [chairman]  CHAIRPERSON  of  the
 authority,  at  [his] THE CHAIRPERSON'S direction, may exclude such non-
 voting member or alternate non-voting member from attending any  portion
 of  a  meeting of the authority or of any committee established pursuant
 to paragraph (b) of subdivision  four  of  this  section  held  for  the
 purpose of discussing negotiations with labor organizations.
   THE  THIRD NON-VOTING MEMBER SHALL BE THE POLICE CHIEF OF THE AUTHORI-
 TY, OR SUCH POLICE CHIEF'S DESIGNEE.
   THE FOURTH NON-VOTING MEMBER SHALL BE RECOMMENDED TO THE  GOVERNOR  BY
 THE  LABOR  ORGANIZATION  REPRESENTING  THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES OF THE
 POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE AUTHORITY. THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AUTHORITY, AT
 THE CHAIRPERSON'S DIRECTION, MAY EXCLUDE  SUCH  NON-VOTING  MEMBER  FROM
 ATTENDING  ANY PORTION OF A MEETING OF THE AUTHORITY OR OF ANY COMMITTEE
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO  PARAGRAPH  (B)  OF  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  THIS
 SECTION  HELD  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  DISCUSSING NEGOTIATIONS WITH LABOR
 ORGANIZATIONS.
   The non-voting member and the two alternate non-voting members repres-
 enting the New York [York] city transit authority advisory council,  the
 Metro-North  commuter  council, and the Long Island Rail Road commuter's
 council shall serve eighteen month rotating terms, after which  time  an
 alternate  non-voting  member shall become the non-voting member and the
 rotation shall continue until each alternate member has served at  least
 one  eighteen  month  term  as a non-voting member. The other non-voting
 member and alternate non-voting members representing the New  York  city
 transit  authority,  Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, and the Long
 Island Rail Road labor organizations shall serve eighteen month rotating
 terms, after which time an alternate non-voting member shall become  the
 non-voting  member  and the rotation shall continue until each alternate
 member has served at least one  eighteen  month  term  as  a  non-voting
 member.  The  transit  authority and the commuter railroads shall not be
 represented concurrently by the two non-voting members during  any  such
 S. 7027                             4

 eighteen  month  period.  THE  OTHER  NON-VOTING MEMBER REPRESENTING THE
 LABOR ORGANIZATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE AUTHORITY SHALL SERVE
 A TERM OF EIGHTEEN MONTHS.
   §  2.  Paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision 4 of section 1263 of the public
 authorities law, as amended by section 1 of chapter 425 of the  laws  of
 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   (b)  The  [chairman]  CHAIRPERSON shall establish committees to assist
 [him] SUCH CHAIRPERSON in the performance of  [his]  SUCH  CHAIRPERSON'S
 duties  and  shall  appoint members of the authority to such committees.
 Among such committees, there shall be a committee on operations  of  the
 New York city transit authority, the Manhattan and Bronx surface transit
 operating  authority  and  the  Staten  Island  rapid  transit operating
 authority; a committee on operations of the Long Island  Rail  Road  and
 the  metropolitan  suburban  bus authority; a committee on operations of
 the Metro-North commuter railroad; a  committee  on  operations  of  the
 Triborough  bridge  and  tunnel  authority;  a  committee  on finance; a
 committee on capital program oversight; and a committee  on  safety.  In
 addition  to  such  appointed  members,  each  of the non-voting members
 referred to in subparagraph two of paragraph (a) of subdivision  one  of
 this  section shall serve on the committee on capital program oversight,
 the committee on finance, the committee  on  safety,  the  committee  on
 operations  of the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority, and the oper-
 ations committee relevant to the commuter council that recommended  such
 member. The alternate non-voting members shall each serve on the respec-
 tive  operations  committee relevant to the commuter council that recom-
 mended each member. The committee on capital program oversight  and  the
 committee on safety shall include not less than three members, and shall
 include  the chairpersons of the committee on operations of the New York
 city transit authority, the Manhattan and Bronx surface transit  operat-
 ing  authority  and the Staten Island rapid transit operating authority,
 the committee on operations of the Long Island Rail Road and the  metro-
 politan  suburban  bus authority, and the committee on operations of the
 Metro-North commuter railroad.  THE COMMITTEE ON  SAFETY  SHALL  INCLUDE
 THE  POLICE  CHIEF  OF THE AUTHORITY OR SUCH POLICE CHIEF'S DESIGNEE AND
 THE NON-VOTING MEMBER REPRESENTING THE LABOR ORGANIZATION OF THE  POLICE
 DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  AUTHORITY. The committee on safety shall convene at
 least once annually and each committee chairperson, that is a member  of
 the committee on safety, shall report to the committee on safety any and
 all initiatives, concerns, improvements, or failures involving the safe-
 ty  of:  (1)  customers;  (2) employees; and (3) the public at large, in
 relation to authority  facilities  and  services.  The  capital  program
 committee  shall,  with  respect  to  any  approved  or proposed capital
 program plans, (i) monitor the current and future availability of  funds
 to  be  utilized  for such plans approved or proposed to be submitted to
 the metropolitan transportation capital program review board as provided
 in section twelve hundred sixty-nine-b of this title; (ii)  monitor  the
 contract awards of the metropolitan transportation authority and the New
 York  city  transit  authority to insure that such awards are consistent
 with (A) provisions of law authorizing United  States  content  and  New
 York state content; (B) collective bargaining agreements; (C) provisions
 of  law  providing  for  participation by minority and women-owned busi-
 nesses; (D) New York state labor laws; (E) competitive bidding  require-
 ments including those regarding sole source contracts; and (F) any other
 relevant  requirements  established  by  law; (iii) monitor the award of
 contracts to determine if such awards are consistent with the manner  in
 which  the work was traditionally performed in the past provided, howev-
 S. 7027                             5
 
 er, that any such determination shall not be admissible as  evidence  in
 any  arbitration  or  judicial  proceeding; (iv) review the relationship
 between capital expenditures pursuant to each such capital program  plan
 and  current  and  future operating budget requirements; (v) monitor the
 progress of capital elements described  in  each  capital  program  plan
 approved  as  provided  in  section  twelve hundred sixty-nine-b of this
 title; (vi) monitor the expenditures incurred and  to  be  incurred  for
 each  such  element; and (vii) identify capital elements not progressing
 on schedule,  ascertain  responsibility  therefor  and  recommend  those
 actions  required or appropriate to accelerate their implementation. The
 capital program committee shall issue a quarterly report on  its  activ-
 ities and findings, and shall in connection with the preparation of such
 quarterly  report,  consult  with  the state division of the budget, the
 state department of transportation,  the  members  of  the  metropolitan
 transportation  authority  capital  program  review  board and any other
 group the committee deems relevant, including public employee  organiza-
 tions,  and, at least annually, with a nationally recognized independent
 transit engineering firm. Such report shall be  made  available  to  the
 members of the authority, to the members of the metropolitan transporta-
 tion  authority  capital  program review board, and the directors of the
 municipal assistance corporation for the city of New York.
   § 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 4 of  section  1263  of  the  public
 authorities  law,  as amended by section 2 of chapter 425 of the laws of
 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   (b) The [chairman] CHAIRPERSON shall establish  committees  to  assist
 [him]  SUCH  CHAIRPERSON  in the performance of [his] SUCH CHAIRPERSON'S
 duties and shall appoint members of the authority  to  such  committees.
 Among  such  committees, there shall be a committee on operations of the
 New York city transit authority, the Manhattan and Bronx surface transit
 operating authority  and  the  Staten  Island  rapid  transit  operating
 authority;  a  committee  on operations of the Long Island Rail Road and
 the metropolitan suburban bus authority; a committee  on  operations  of
 the  Metro-North  commuter  railroad;  a  committee on operations of the
 Triborough bridge and  tunnel  authority;  a  committee  on  finance;  a
 committee  on  capital program oversight; and a committee on safety. The
 committee on capital program oversight shall include not less than  four
 members,  and  shall  include the chairpersons of the committee on oper-
 ations of the New York city transit authority, the Manhattan  and  Bronx
 surface  transit operating authority and the Staten Island rapid transit
 operating authority, the committee on operations of the Long Island Rail
 Road and the metropolitan suburban bus authority, the committee on oper-
 ations of the Metro-North commuter railroad, and the committee on  safe-
 ty.  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  SAFETY  SHALL  INCLUDE  THE POLICE CHIEF OF THE
 AUTHORITY OR SUCH POLICE CHIEF'S  DESIGNEE  AND  THE  NON-VOTING  MEMBER
 REPRESENTING  THE  LABOR  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE
 AUTHORITY. The committee on safety shall convene at least once  annually
 and  each  committee  chairperson,  that is a member of the committee on
 safety, shall report to the committee on safety any and all initiatives,
 concerns, improvements, or failures involving the safety of: (1) custom-
 ers; (2) employees; and (3) the public at large, in relation to authori-
 ty facilities and services. The capital program  committee  shall,  with
 respect  to  any approved or proposed capital program plans, (i) monitor
 the current and future availability of funds to  be  utilized  for  such
 plans approved or proposed to be submitted to the metropolitan transpor-
 tation  capital  program  review  board  as  provided  in section twelve
 hundred sixty-nine-b of this title; (ii) monitor the contract awards  of
 S. 7027                             6
 
 the  metropolitan transportation authority and the New York city transit
 authority to insure that such awards are consistent with (A)  provisions
 of law authorizing United States content and New York state content; (B)
 collective  bargaining  agreements;  (C) provisions of law providing for
 participation by minority and women-owned businesses; (D) New York state
 labor laws; (E) competitive bidding requirements including those regard-
 ing sole source contracts;  and  (F)  any  other  relevant  requirements
 established by law; (iii) monitor the award of contracts to determine if
 such  awards are consistent with the manner in which the work was tradi-
 tionally performed in the past provided, however, that any such determi-
 nation shall not be admissible as evidence in any arbitration  or  judi-
 cial   proceeding;   (iv)   review   the  relationship  between  capital
 expenditures pursuant to each such capital program plan and current  and
 future  operating budget requirements; (v) monitor the progress of capi-
 tal elements described in each capital program plan approved as provided
 in section twelve hundred sixty-nine-b of this title; (vi)  monitor  the
 expenditures  incurred  and  to  be  incurred for each such element; and
 (vii) identify capital elements not progressing on  schedule,  ascertain
 responsibility  therefor  and recommend those actions required or appro-
 priate to accelerate their implementation. The capital program committee
 shall issue a quarterly report on its activities and findings, and shall
 in connection with the preparation of  such  quarterly  report,  consult
 with the state division of the budget, the state department of transpor-
 tation, the members of the metropolitan transportation authority capital
 program  review  board and any other group the committee deems relevant,
 including public employee organizations, and, at least annually, with  a
 nationally  recognized independent transit engineering firm. Such report
 shall be made available to the members of the authority, to the  members
 of  the  metropolitan  transportation  authority  capital program review
 board, and the directors of the municipal assistance corporation for the
 city of New York.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however:
   (a)  the  amendments to paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 1263
 of the public authorities law made by section one of this act shall  not
 affect  the  expiration of such paragraph and shall expire and be deemed
 repealed therewith; and
   (b) the amendments to paragraph (b) of subdivision 4 of  section  1263
 of  the  public authorities law made by section two of this act shall be
 subject to the expiration and reversion of such  paragraph  pursuant  to
 section 3 of chapter 549 of the laws of 1994, as amended, when upon such
 date the provisions of section three of this act shall take effect.

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Senate Bill S7027

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Sponsored By

Stephen T. Chan