Provides that the village of Southampton is hereby authorized to designate emergency response and rescue vehicles assigned to the Southampton village ocean rescue as authorized emergency vehicles.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7778
SPONSOR: Schiavoni TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to the Southampton village ocean rescue
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Special act to authorize the Village of Southampton to desig-
nate emergency response and rescue vehicles assigned to the Southampton
Village Ocean Rescue as authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to
Section 101 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Section 2. Sets forth an immediate effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Founded in April 2018, the Southampton Village Ocean Rescue (SVOR)
responds to emergencies, in the ocean and bay, throughout the Village of
Southampton. They are dedicated to making expeditious and safe water
rescues year-round at all unprotected beaches in Southampton Village. In
2022, the State Legislature enacted a special act for the State of New
York to recognize the critical lifesaving functions and services carried
out by SVOR by authorizing the Village of Southampton to designate SVOR,
by the adoption of a resolution by the Town Board, as an emergency
rescue and first aid squad under Section 209-b of the General Municipal
Law (Chapter 419 of the Laws of 2022).
Now a designated emergency rescue and first aid squad, members may
utilize green emergency lights when enroute to rescue calls. However,
the SVOR rescue vehicle that carries essential lifesaving rescue equip-
ment: automated external defibrillator, rescue line, rescue boards,
rescue tubes and frequently used to pull the trailered SVOR rescue jet
ski cannot possess any emergency lights or sirens to assist in getting
through traffic in an emergency because an ocean rescue vehicle is not
included in the definition of an "authorized emergency vehicle" under
Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 101.
This legislation is necessary to authorize the Village of Southampton to
designate emergency response and rescue vehicles assigned to the South-
ampton Village Ocean Rescue as authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to
Section 101 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2025: S.3266/A.
2023: S.6767/A.7090
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7778
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SCHIAVONI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT in relation to the Southampton village ocean rescue
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the
2 village of Southampton is hereby authorized to designate emergency
3 response and rescue vehicles assigned to the Southampton village ocean
4 rescue as authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to section 101 of the
5 vehicle and traffic law.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07544-01-5
