NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5805
SPONSOR: Galef (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public authorities law, in
relation to designating "The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge"
as "The Purple Heart Memorial Bridge"
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to honor those wounded or killed in
any action against an enemy of the United States or as a result of an
act of any such enemy or opposing armed forces by designating the Tappan
Zee Bridge to be known as The Purple Heart Memorial Bridge.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 356 of the Public Authorities Law is
amended as follows: 2. The crossing currently known as The Governor
Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge will now be known as The Purple Heart
Memorial Bridge.
Section 2. The Commissioner of Transportation shall provide for the
installation and maintenance of adequate signage of the state highway
system as designated pursuant to section one of this act.
Section 3. Establishes the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
This section is not applicable at this time.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Purple Heart award is the highest honor given to those in the Unites
States Military who have been wounded in service to their country. It is
also given posthumously to the families of those who died. The Military
Order of the Purple Heart was first given to those who served on or
after April 5, 1917, and is the oldest military award in the world. It
is based on the previous Badge of Military Merit by General George Wash-
ington.
The Tappan Zee Bridge is ideally suited to be named "The Purple Heart
Memorial Bridge". It is located in the lower Hudson Valley where there
are dozens of military sites and museums. Even more pertinent, the lower
Hudson Valley is home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor (New
Windsor) and the United States Military Academy at West point (Highland
Falls). It carries about 140,000 vehicles on a daily basis, and there-
fore everyone traveling the bridge can be reminded of those who sacri-
fice themselves for their fellow citizens.
It is fitting to recognize those who have fulfilled their patriotic duty
through the designation of The Tappan Zee Bridge as The Purple Heart
Memorial Bridge.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A. 5199 and S. 2261 of 2015/2016
A. 8279 and S. 7116 of 2013/2014
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
This legislation has minimal fiscal implications to the State since
there is very little signage that needs to be developed.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5805
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 15, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GALEF, ABBATE, M. G. MILLER, GUNTHER, McLAUGHLIN,
RAIA, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, CROUCH, FITZPA-
TRICK, MOSLEY, RAMOS, RIVERA, THIELE, TITONE -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to designating
"The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge" as "The Purple Heart
Memorial Bridge"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 356 of the public authorities law,
2 as amended by chapter 530 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 2. The Hudson section. Beginning at the northerly end of the southern
5 Westchester connection at or near Tuckahoe road, thence in a general
6 northerly and westerly direction crossing the Hudson river at a point
7 south of Highland Falls, which crossing shall be known as ["The Governor
8 Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge"] "The Purple Heart Memorial Bridge",
9 including a highway connection between ["The Governor Malcolm Wilson
10 Tappan Zee Bridge"] "The Purple Heart Memorial Bridge" and the New
11 England section of the thruway presently known as interstate route two
12 hundred eighty-seven, thence in a general westerly direction to inter-
13 sect with existing route number seventeen or to a connection with that
14 route, including a thruway connection from that portion of the section
15 west of the Hudson river, generally southerly to a point to be deter-
16 mined by the authority on the New York-New Jersey boundary line.
17 § 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the instal-
18 lation and maintenance of adequate signage of the state highway system
19 as designated pursuant to section one of this act; provided that, to
20 avoid any confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce,
21 the designations called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be
22 of ceremonial nature and the official name of such highway and bridge
23 shall not be changed as a result of this act.
24 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03991-01-7
