NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7495
SPONSOR: Pretlow TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to encouraging the
use of mass transportation
PURPOSE OF BILL:
To encourage the use of mass transit by allowing state employees to
participate in the federal program which allows pretax earnings to be
used to purchase qualified transportation benefits.
SUMMARY OF BILL:
Provides for the State Comptroller to allow state employees to elect to
participate in the recently enacted federal program to encourage the use
of mass transit, and to promulgate regulations necessary.
JUSTIFICATION:
There has recently been enacted federal legislation which allows employ-
ers to offer employees the option to elect to use pre-tax earnings to
pay for qualified transportation benefits. By making this election, New
Yorkers may have the opportunity to considerably reduce the cost of mass
transit by purchasing up to $100 per month worth of qualified transit,
parking and van pooling passes. This will have the effect of further
reducing the cost of mass transit and thereby. encouraging its use.
Mass transit reduces traffic congestion, decreases particulate emissions
from automobiles and eases wear and tear on our roads. New York State
employees should be able to participate in this valuable federal
program.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A4697 01/03/24 referred ways and means
A4697 02/22/23 referred ways and means
A1803 2021-2022 referred ways and means
A3614 2019/2020 referred to ways and means
A4108 2017/2018 referred to ways and means
A2488 2009/2010 referred to ways & means S.7833
1997-98 A3915
2013/14 referred to ways & means
01/20/15 A2713 referred to ways and means
01/06/16 A2713 referred to Means to ways
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7495
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 28, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to encouraging the
use of mass transportation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 8 of the state finance law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 2-e to read as follows:
3 2-e. Implement the program authorized by federal law to encourage the
4 use of mass transportation; any state employee may by written request
5 duly filed with the state comptroller, elect to participate in the
6 program authorized by federal law to encourage the use of mass transpor-
7 tation. In the event an employee so elects, the personal income tax
8 benefits provided to such employee to the extent authorized by such law
9 shall immediately inure to such employee. The comptroller shall promul-
10 gate such regulations necessary for the implementation and adminis-
11 tration of the provision of this subdivision.
12 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10754-01-5
