Add §390, Pub Auth L; amd Art 4, §1 of Chap 154 of 1921
Requires that food services at transportation facilities and rest areas owned and operated by certain public authorities remain open seven days a week.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6246
SPONSOR: Simone (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law and chapter 154 of the laws
of 1921, relating to the port authority of New York and New Jersey, in
relation to contracts to provide food services at authority owned and
operated transportation facilities and rest areas
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:•
To ensure that New York State's transportation facilities offer a reli-
able source of food services.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the public authorities law by adding a new section 390
that requires any contracts entered into by the New York State Thruway
Authority for the operation of food services at public transportation
facilities shall require that services be provided every day of the
week.
Section 2 amends section 1 of chapter 154 of the laws of 1921 and adds a
new subparagraph 7 establishing a policy that contracts for the opera-
tion of food services at Port Authority owned transportation facilities
shall be required that services be provided every day of the week.
Section 3 establishes the effective date of the bill.
JUSTIFICATION:
The New York State Thruway Authority's Service Area Redesign and Rede-
velopment Project is currently rebuilding the 27 service areas along the
Thruway through a public-private partnership. The travelling public and
commercial trucking industry rely on these service areas to rest, refuel
and to purchase food and beverages. In 2021, the Thruway Authority
engaged Applegreen, an Irish convenience store chain, to take over the
leases of all service areas.
Applegreen's portfolio of companies include Chick-fil-A, which by compa-
ny policy is closed on Sundays, and which has already opened at seven
service areas. While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food
restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedi-
cated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant.
Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit
the public. Allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the
week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers
who rely on these service areas.
This legislation will ensure that all future contracts for food conces-
sions at transportation facilities owned by the Thruway Authority, as
well as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will be required
to operate seven days a week, with an exclusion to temporary concessions
such as farmers markets or local vendors.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORX:
02/06/2024: Referred to Cities
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it becomes law.
However, section 2 of this act shall only take effect upon the State of
New Jersey passing an act with an identical effect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6246
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMONE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BURDICK,
GLICK, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, KELLES, LUNSFORD, SHIMSKY -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law and chapter 154 of the laws
of 1921, relating to the port authority of New York and New Jersey, in
relation to contracts to provide food services at authority owned and
operated transportation facilities and rest areas
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new
2 section 390 to read as follows:
3 § 390. Contracts for food service. Any contracts entered into for the
4 operation of food services or food concessions at public transportation
5 facilities owned or operated by the authority shall require that such
6 services be provided every day of the week. For the purposes of this
7 section the term "public transportation facilities" shall mean and
8 include thruway rest areas, service areas and welcome centers. The
9 provisions of this section shall not apply to temporary concessions or
10 events including farmers' markets, flea markets or local vendors
11 licensed or permitted to operate by the authority. Nothing contained
12 in this section shall impair any existing contract, award, or
13 other agreement, except that any renewal, amendment, or modification of
14 any such contract, award or agreement occurring on or after the effec-
15 tive date of this section shall be subject to the conditions specified
16 in this section.
17 § 2. Subparagraph 6 of paragraph f of subdivision 3 of article IV of
18 section 1 of chapter 154 of the laws of 1921, relating to the port
19 authority of New York and New Jersey, as amended by chapter 495 of the
20 laws of 2023, is amended and a new subparagraph 7 is added to read as
21 follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08290-01-5
A. 6246 2
1 (6) provide information concerning services for human trafficking
2 victims in port authority bus terminals. 1. Any bus terminal maintained
3 or operated by the port authority shall make available in plain view and
4 in a conspicuous place and manner in the public restrooms and in any
5 lactation rooms, informational cards and/or signs developed by:
6 (a) the office of temporary and disability assistance in consultation
7 with the New York state interagency task force on human trafficking; or
8 (b) the United States Department of Homeland Security.
9 2. All informational cards and signs shall only contain information
10 concerning services for human trafficking victims and shall prominently
11 include the national human trafficking hotline telephone number.
12 3. For purposes of this section, "lactation room" shall mean a hygien-
13 ic place, other than a restroom, that: (a) is shielded from view; (b) is
14 free from intrusion; (c) contains a chair, a working surface, and, if
15 the building is otherwise supplied with electricity, an electrical
16 outlet; and (d) is intended to be used for the primary purpose of
17 breastfeeding or expressing breast milk[.]; and
18 (7) establish a policy that contracts for the operation of food
19 services or food concessions at transportation facilities owned by such
20 authority shall require that such services be provided every day of the
21 week. For the purposes of this section the term "transportation facili-
22 ties" shall mean and include bus stations, train stations, rest areas
23 and marine terminal facilities. The provisions of this section shall
24 not apply to temporary concessions or events including farmers' markets,
25 flea markets or local vendors licensed or permitted to operate by the
26 authority.
27 § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
28 have become a law and shall apply to contracts entered into, renewed,
29 amended, or modified on and after such date; provided, however that
30 section two of this act shall take effect upon the enactment into
31 law by the state of New Jersey of legislation having an identical effect
32 with this act, but if the state of New Jersey shall have already enacted
33 such legislation, such section shall take effect immediately; provided
34 that the chairman of the port authority of New Jersey shall notify the
35 legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of the
36 enactment of the legislation provided for in section two of this act in
37 order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely
38 effective database of the official text of the laws of the state of New
39 York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44
40 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
