§ 17-b. Public transportation safety plans; filing. 1.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision eight of section twelve
hundred sixty-six and subdivision seven of section twelve hundred
ninety-nine-f of the public authorities law or of subdivision seventeen
of section one hundred forty-two of this chapter, every transportation
authority and every other public transportation operator or carrier
receiving mass transportation operating assistance pursuant to section
eighteen-b of this chapter either directly from the department of
transportation or through a county or municipality pursuant to said
section, shall prepare and publicize a plan for transportation safety,
including but not limited to equipment maintenance procedures, personnel
safety training programs, accident reporting systems, passenger safety
practices and the persons responsible for the implementation of such
practices and programs. Every authority and every other public
transportation operator or carrier required herein to file such a plan
shall review such plan biennially and amend such plan if amendments are
necessary.

2. A plan and any amendment thereto, prepared pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall be filed with the department at its
Albany office. The commissioner, in consultation with the state public
transportation safety board shall examine the plan and determine whether
the same is satisfactory and feasible. The plan shall be made available
to any and all persons, corporations, departments and agencies necessary
to enable timely review and solicitation of comments.

3. If within one hundred eighty days of receipt of notice of the
provisions of this section from the commissioner and every two years
thereafter, any transportation authority or system shall fail to file a
plan as required by this section or shall file a plan or amendment which
the commissioner determines in consultation with the state public
transportation safety board, is unsatisfactory and shall fail to file a
substitute plan or amendment within ninety days of the sending of notice
of such determination, the commissioner shall be authorized and
empowered to withhold from such authority or system payment of any and
all state moneys otherwise payable to such authority or system as
operating assistance pursuant to section eighteen-b of this chapter in
the next occurring quarter of the state fiscal year.

4. For purposes of this section the term transportation authority
shall be deemed to mean and include every public benefit corporation
constituting a transportation authority which provides or contracts for
the provision of mass transportation services or any subsidiary thereof.