Amd §§1111-c & 1111-c-1, V & T L (as proposed in S.6815 & A.8292)
Provides a defense from liability for MTA vehicles standing, stopped, or parked in violation of certain bus lane restrictions in New York city where such MTA vehicles were operated by an employee of the MTA performing authorized duties.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9512
SPONSOR: Cunningham TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to providing a
defense from liability for certain MTA vehicles standing, stopped, or
parked in violation of certain bus lane restrictions in New York city
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To clarify provisions of Chapter 698 of the Laws of 2025 relating to
providing a defense to notices of liability issued through photographic
enforcement of certain bus lane restrictions in New York City to certain
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) vehicles.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Chapter 698 of the Laws of 2025 amended the bus lane camera program by
creating a defense to any prosecution for a violation of a bus lane
restriction by an MTA vehicle when an MTA employee operating such vehi-
cle is performing authorized duties on behalf of the MTA involving an
MTA vehicle or personnel. This bill amends Chapter 698 by clarifying
that the defense applies to notices of liability issued for violations
for standing, stopping, or parking in a bus lane and by clarifying the
applicability of the defense.
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill provides necessary clarification of Chapter 698 of the Laws of
2025 to ensure its effective implementation.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a
chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the vehicle and traffic law relat-
ing to an affirmative defense for bus lane restrictions in New York
city, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6815 and A. 8292,
takes effect; provided, however, that the amendments to sections 1111-c
and 1111-c-1 of the vehicle and traffic law made by sections one and two
of this act, respectively, shall not affect the repeal of such sections
and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9512
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to providing a
defense from liability for certain MTA vehicles standing, stopped, or
parked in violation of certain bus lane restrictions in New York city
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision (o) of section 1111-c of the vehicle and traf-
2 fic law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the vehicle
3 and traffic law relating to an affirmative defense for bus lane
4 restrictions in New York city, as proposed in legislative bills numbers
5 S. 6815 and A. 8292, is amended to read as follows:
6 (o) It shall be a defense to any [prosecution for a violation of a bus
7 lane restriction] notice of liability issued to the owner of a metropol-
8 itan transportation authority vehicle for standing, stopping, or parking
9 in a bus lane in violation of the applicable provisions of section 4-08
10 of chapter four of title thirty-four of the rules of the city of New
11 York pursuant to a bus rapid transit program adopted pursuant to this
12 section [when an employee of the] that the operator of the vehicle was a
13 metropolitan transportation authority [is] employee performing author-
14 ized duties [on behalf of such authority and is operating an authorized
15 employer motor vehicle in the bus lane at the time of the violation and
16 conducting lawful business or providing service to an official] involv-
17 ing a metropolitan transportation authority vehicle [or personnel while
18 in a] in such bus lane.
19 § 2. Section 1111-c-1 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
20 adding a new subdivision (q) to read as follows:
21 (q) It shall be a defense to any notice of liability issued to the
22 owner of a metropolitan transportation authority vehicle for a violation
23 of section 4-08(f)(4) of chapter four of title thirty-four of the rules
24 of the city of New York pursuant to a demonstration program adopted
25 pursuant to this section that the operator of the vehicle was a metro-
26 politan transportation authority employee performing authorized duties
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11210-02-6
A. 9512 2
1 involving a metropolitan transportation authority vehicle in such bus
2 lane.
3 § 3. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
4 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the vehicle and traffic
5 law relating to an affirmative defense for bus lane restrictions in New
6 York city, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6815 and A. 8292,
7 takes effect; provided, however, that the amendments to sections 1111-c
8 and 1111-c-1 of the vehicle and traffic law made by sections one and two
9 of this act, respectively, shall not affect the repeal of such sections
10 and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
