Requires the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, and the New York City Transit Authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of certain active duty, uniform police officers.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9825A
SPONSOR: Zebrowski TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New York city transit
authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of certain
active duty, uniform police officers
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would create no fare programs for transportation on the Long
Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad for police offi-
cers, establish and implement a similar program for transportation on
New York City Transit Authority systems, and establish safeguards for
eligibility for these programs.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Adds the Metro-North Commuter Railroad ("MNR") and the rele-
vant local police commands to the existing statute, Public Authorities
Law § 1266(14), requiring the MTA to establish a no-fare program for
transportation on the Long Island Rail Road ("LIRR") for certain police
officers, thereby codifying the existing MNR program. Additionally, a
subsequent new subdivision to that section is added requiring the MTA,
in consultation with the New York City Transit Authority ("NYCTA"), to
establish a similar no-fare program for eligible officers in both the
LIRR and MNR programs on NYCTA systems.
Section 2. The act shall take effect thirty days after it has become
law.
JUSTIFICATION:
While MTA ridership has remained far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,
the number of assaults on the subway have significantly increased. Cover
all, the rate of felonies per million riders remains above pre-pandemic
levels. It is imperative that riders can travel safely throughout the
MTA system, particularly at a time when more people are returning to
in-person work, school, and other activities. People will increasingly
turn to private cars, taxis, and ride-sharing services to avoid mass
transit if they do not feel it is safe. Providing active-duty police
officers with free rides on the LIRR, Metro-North, and New York City
Transit will encourage these officers to use mass transit to get to and
from work, providing increased police presence on trains. The presence
of officers will deter crime and provide riders with an increased sense
of safety. In addition, restructuring existing programs that provide
free passes to police officers could potentially result in up $130
million in annual savings to the MTA.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S6907/A7098A
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect thirty days after it has become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9825--A
IN ASSEMBLY
April 9, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New York city transit
authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of
certain active duty, uniform police officers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 14 of section 1266 of the public authorities
2 law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 14. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or the terms of any
5 contract, to increase protection and improve safety for its customers
6 and employees, the authority[, in consultation with the Long Island Rail
7 Road,] shall establish and implement a no fare program for transporta-
8 tion on the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad
9 for trained and sworn police officers [employed by the city of New York,
10 county of Nassau, Nassau county villages and cities, county of Suffolk,
11 Suffolk county villages and towns, the division of state police, the
12 port authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metro-North Commuter
13 Railroad Company, the New York city housing authority and the New York
14 city transit authority], as defined in section 1.20 of the criminal
15 procedure law and who are employed in good standing with active law
16 enforcement responsibilities within the metropolitan commuter transpor-
17 tation district. In establishing such program, [which has as its goal
18 increased protection and improved safety for its commuters,] the author-
19 ity [and the Long Island Rail Road] shall, among other things, consider:
20 (a) requiring [police] such officers [who ride without cost] to register
21 with the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad
22 Company as a condition of riding without cost; (b) requiring such offi-
23 cers when registering to [indicate during such registration process]
24 state their regular working hours and the [Long Island Rail Road] trains
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05292-06-4
A. 9825--A 2
1 that such officers expect to ride; [and] (c) [periodically] annually
2 re-registering [and re-validating] such officers; and (d) requiring such
3 officers to present law enforcement identification along with any pass
4 the authority may issue in relation to this program. The authority [and
5 the Long Island Rail Road] shall also have the power to consider other
6 matters necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of this section.
7 Nothing in this subdivision shall limit the authority from providing no
8 fare transportation on any of its subways, buses or commuter trains for
9 police officers employed by the city of New York or for police officers
10 or peace officers employed by the authority or its affiliates.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
12 have become a law.
