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A03801 Summary:

BILL NOA03801A
 
SAME ASSAME AS S03587-C
 
SPONSORAbinanti
 
COSPNSRWeprin, Williams, Cruz, Smullen, Reilly, McDonough, Epstein, Pichardo
 
MLTSPNSRDe La Rosa, Englebright, Griffin
 
Add Art 9 Title 11-A §2985-a, desig §2985 to be Art 9 Title 11-A §2985, Pub Auth L
 
Relates to enacting the "toll payer protection act" which includes a tolls by mail system for the payment of tolls by electronic toll devices; provides for the repeal of such system five years after the enactment of such system.
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A03801 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         3801--A
 
                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 28, 2021
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ABINANTI, WEPRIN, WILLIAMS, CRUZ, MORINELLO,
          SMULLEN, REILLY, McDONOUGH, EPSTEIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of  A.
          ENGLEBRIGHT,  GRIFFIN  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on
          Corporations,  Authorities  and  Commissions  --  recommitted  to  the
          Committee  on  Corporations, Authorities and Commissions in accordance
          with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
        AN  ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to enacting the
          "toll payer protection act"; and providing for the repeal  of  certain
          provisions upon expiration thereof
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "toll payer
     2  protection act".
     3    § 2. Section 2985 of the public authorities law is designated to title
     4  11-A of article 9 of such law.
     5    § 3. Article 9 of the public authorities law is amended  by  adding  a
     6  new title 11-A to read as follows:
     7                                 TITLE 11-A
     8                              TOLL COLLECTIONS
     9  Section 2985-a. Tolls by mail.
    10    § 2985-a. Tolls by mail. 1. Applicability. This section shall apply to
    11  the tolls by mail program and shall not apply to the payment of tolls by
    12  means of an electronic toll device that transmits information through an
    13  electronic  toll  collection  system as defined in subdivision twelve of
    14  section twenty-nine hundred eighty-five of this title.
    15    2. Definitions. For purposes of  this  section,  the  following  terms
    16  shall have the following meanings:
    17    (a)  "Cashless  tolling facility" shall mean a toll highway, bridge or
    18  tunnel facility that does not provide for the immediate on-site  payment
    19  in cash of a toll owed for the use of such facility.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02113-07-2

        A. 3801--A                          2
 
     1    (b)  "Cashless  tolling monitoring system" shall mean a vehicle sensor
     2  which automatically produces a recorded image of a vehicle  and  license
     3  plate  at the time it is used or operated at a cashless tolling facility
     4  and whose owner has incurred an obligation to pay  a  toll  through  the
     5  cashless tolling program.
     6    (c)  "Debt collection agency" shall mean a person, firm or corporation
     7  engaged in business, the principal purpose  of  which  is  to  regularly
     8  collect  or  attempt to collect debts owed or due or asserted to be owed
     9  or due to another and shall also include a buyer of delinquent debt  who
    10  seeks  to  collect  such debt either directly or through the services of
    11  another by, including but not limited  to,  initiating  or  using  legal
    12  processes or other means to collect or attempt to collect such debt.
    13    (d)  "Electronic  means  of  communication"  shall  include but not be
    14  limited to electronic mail and text messaging.
    15    (e) "Electronic  toll  collection  system"  shall  mean  a  system  of
    16  collecting  tolls  or  charges  which  is capable of charging an account
    17  holder the appropriate toll or charge  by  transmission  of  information
    18  from  an operable electronic device on a motor vehicle to the toll lane,
    19  which information is used to charge the account the appropriate toll  or
    20  charge.
    21    (f)  "Lessee"  shall  mean any person, corporation, firm, partnership,
    22  agency, association, or organization that rents, leases or contracts for
    23  the use of one or more vehicles and has exclusive use  thereof  for  any
    24  period of time.
    25    (g)  "Lessor"  shall  mean any person, corporation, firm, partnership,
    26  agency, association, or organization engaged in the business of  renting
    27  or  leasing  vehicles  to  any lessee under a rental agreement, lease or
    28  otherwise wherein such lessee has the exclusive use of such vehicle  for
    29  any period of time.
    30    (h) "Notice of violation" shall mean a notice sent to an owner notify-
    31  ing  such  owner  that a toll incurred at a cashless tolling facility by
    32  the owner has not been paid at the place and  time  and  in  the  manner
    33  established for collection of such toll in the toll bill.
    34    (i)  "Operable electronic device" shall mean an electronic device that
    35  successfully transmits information through an electronic toll collection
    36  system.
    37    (j) "Owner" shall mean any  person,  corporation,  partnership,  firm,
    38  agency,  association,  lessor or organization who, at the time of incur-
    39  ring an obligation to pay a toll at a  cashless  tolling  facility,  and
    40  with respect to the vehicle identified in the notice of toll due: (i) is
    41  the  beneficial or equitable owner of such vehicle; or (ii) has title to
    42  such vehicle; or (iii) is the registrant or co-registrant of such  vehi-
    43  cle  which  is  registered with the department of motor vehicles of this
    44  state or any other state, territory, district, province, nation or other
    45  jurisdiction; or (iv) is subject to the limitations set forth in  subdi-
    46  vision  ten  of  section  twenty-nine hundred eighty-five of this title,
    47  uses such vehicle in its vehicle renting and/or leasing business; or (v)
    48  is a person entitled to the use and possession of a vehicle subject to a
    49  security interest in another person.
    50    (k) "Penalty" shall mean any late payment fees, charges,  or  monetary
    51  penalties  imposed by a public authority, exclusive of any toll or tolls
    52  incurred at the cashless tolling facility, for failure to timely pay  an
    53  obligation to pay a toll.
    54    (l)  "Toll  bill"  shall mean a notice sent to an owner notifying such
    55  owner that the owner's vehicle has been used or operated at  a  cashless
    56  tolling  facility,  crossed a cashless tolling monitoring system without

        A. 3801--A                          3
 
     1  an operable electronic device and has incurred an obligation  to  pay  a
     2  toll.
     3    (m)  "Tolls  by mail program" shall mean any program operated by or on
     4  behalf of a public authority to identify vehicles that cross  through  a
     5  cashless  tolling  facility without an operable electronic device and to
     6  send a toll bill or notice of violation to the owner of the vehicle.
     7    (n) "Violation" shall mean the failure of the owner to timely  respond
     8  to a toll bill.
     9    3.  Authorization  for cashless tolling. (a) Notwithstanding any other
    10  provision of law, every public authority that operates a  toll  highway,
    11  bridge  and/or  tunnel  facility  and  is authorized pursuant to section
    12  twenty-nine  hundred  eighty-five  of  this  title  to  promulgate  toll
    13  collection  regulations  and to impose monetary liability for failure to
    14  comply with such regulations is hereby authorized and empowered to oper-
    15  ate a demonstration program for utilization of cashless tolling  facili-
    16  ties,  cashless  tolling monitoring systems, and a tolls by mail program
    17  and to impose monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle  for  failure
    18  to  comply with the toll collection regulations of such public authority
    19  so long as each public authority complies with the  provisions  of  this
    20  section. Such public authority shall promulgate regulations establishing
    21  a  demonstration program for the utilization of cashless tolling facili-
    22  ties, cashless tolling monitoring systems, and a tolls by  mail  program
    23  that  comply  with  the provisions of this section. Such regulations may
    24  impose monetary liability on the owner  of  a  vehicle  for  failure  to
    25  comply  with such regulations. No public authority shall own, operate or
    26  otherwise facilitate a cashless tolling facility, cashless tolling moni-
    27  toring system, or tolls by mail program without first promulgating regu-
    28  lations pursuant to and in compliance with this section.
    29    (b) Such demonstration program shall utilize necessary technologies to
    30  ensure, to the extent practicable, that recorded images produced by such
    31  cashless tolling monitoring systems shall not include images that  iden-
    32  tify  the driver, the passengers, or the contents of a vehicle. However,
    33  no toll bill or notice of violation  issued  pursuant  to  this  section
    34  shall  be  invalid  solely because a recorded image allows for the iden-
    35  tification of the contents of  a  vehicle,  provided  that  such  public
    36  authority  has made a reasonable effort to comply with the provisions of
    37  this paragraph.
    38    (c) Every public authority that operates a cashless  tolling  facility
    39  shall  undertake  a  public  awareness campaign regarding the use of and
    40  process involved with the payment of tolls at cashless  tolling  facili-
    41  ties.  Each public authority shall provide sufficient methods for owners
    42  to  obtain  an  operable  electronic  device  for  the  electronic  toll
    43  collection system, including making such devices available at  all  rest
    44  areas owned or operated by each authority.
    45    (d)  Every  public authority that operates a cashless tolling facility
    46  shall maintain a website and toll-free phone number for  any  person  to
    47  obtain  current information on any outstanding tolls and shall implement
    48  a system to notify those owners who so request by  electronic  means  of
    49  communication  about  tolls as they are incurred. Such website and phone
    50  number shall be printed on any toll bill or notice of violation.
    51    4. Owner liability.  (a)  Within  the  jurisdiction  of  every  public
    52  authority  which  has  promulgated  regulations  pursuant to subdivision
    53  three of this section:  (i) the owner shall incur an obligation to pay a
    54  toll when the owner's vehicle crosses through a cashless tolling facili-
    55  ty pursuant to this section if such vehicle was used  or  operated  with
    56  the  permission of the owner, express or implied, and such obligation is

        A. 3801--A                          4
 
     1  evidenced by information obtained from the cashless  tolling  monitoring
     2  system;  or (ii) the owner of a vehicle shall incur an obligation to pay
     3  a toll when such vehicle crosses a cashless tolling facility without  an
     4  operable electronic device and is identified by a cashless tolling moni-
     5  toring system.
     6    (b) The owner of a vehicle shall be liable for a civil penalty imposed
     7  pursuant  to  this section if such owner incurred an obligation to pay a
     8  toll and fails to timely pay or respond to such toll in the  manner  set
     9  forth  in  the  toll  bill  in accordance with this section and shall be
    10  liable for penalties in accordance with the penalties set forth  herein.
    11  Provided,  however,  no owner of a vehicle shall be liable for a penalty
    12  imposed pursuant to this section where the operator of such vehicle  has
    13  been  convicted  of  a  violation of toll collection regulations for the
    14  same incident.
    15    5. Toll bills and notices of violation.  (a)  Toll  bill.  The  public
    16  authority  shall  within thirty days of an owner incurring an obligation
    17  to pay a toll send a toll bill by first-class mail to  such  owner.  (i)
    18  Within  thirty  days of the mailing of the toll bill the owner shall (A)
    19  pay the toll, without liability for any penalty,  or  (B)  contest  such
    20  toll  bill.  (ii)  The  toll  bill  shall  include:  (A) the date, time,
    21  location, license plate number and vehicle registration for  each  toll;
    22  (B)  the  total  amount  of the toll due; (C) the date by which the toll
    23  must be paid; (D) the address for receipt  of  payment  and  methods  of
    24  payment  for  such toll bill; (E) the procedure for contesting any toll;
    25  (F) information related to the failure to timely pay  or  respond  to  a
    26  toll  bill; (G) the website address or hyperlink for the owner to access
    27  time-stamped photographs or footage of each toll incurred; and  (H)  any
    28  other  information  required by law or by the authority. If an authority
    29  fails to send a toll bill as set forth in this section, the owner  shall
    30  not be liable for payment of the tolls, or any penalty.
    31    (b)  Second  toll  bill.  If  an owner fails to respond to a toll bill
    32  within thirty days of the mailing of such toll bill, the public authori-
    33  ty shall send a second toll bill by first-class mail within thirty  days
    34  of  the  date  the owner was required to respond to such toll bill. Such
    35  second toll bill may include a penalty for late payment, which shall not
    36  exceed five dollars and shall include all of  the  information  required
    37  for  a  toll bill pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision.  Within
    38  thirty days of the mailing of the second toll bill the owner  shall  (i)
    39  pay  the  assessed toll and any penalty provided in such notice, or (ii)
    40  contest toll bill.
    41    (c) Notice of violation. If an owner fails to respond to a second toll
    42  bill within thirty days of the mailing of such  second  toll  bill,  the
    43  public  authority  shall  send by first-class mail a notice of violation
    44  within thirty days of the date the owner was required to respond to such
    45  second toll bill. (i) The notice of violation  shall  include:  (A)  the
    46  date,  time, location, license plate number and vehicle registration for
    47  each toll; (B) the assessed toll and the total amount of all outstanding
    48  tolls and penalties as authorized by this section; (C) the date by which
    49  payment of such amounts are due; (D) the address for receipt of  payment
    50  and  methods  of  payment  for  the  amounts  due; (E) the procedure for
    51  contesting any such amounts; (F) information related to the  failure  to
    52  timely  pay or respond to a notice of violation; (G) the website address
    53  or hyperlink for the owner to access time-stamped photographs or footage
    54  of each toll incurred; and (H) any other information required by law  or
    55  by  the  authority.  The notice of violation may include a penalty which
    56  shall be twenty-five dollars or two times the toll evaded, whichever  is

        A. 3801--A                          5
 
     1  greater.  If the authority fails to send a timely notice of violation as
     2  set forth in this section, the owner shall not be liable for payment  of
     3  the  alleged tolls or any penalty. (ii) The owner shall have thirty days
     4  from  the date such notice of violation was sent to (A) pay the assessed
     5  toll and penalties, or (B) contest the notice.  If  an  owner  fails  to
     6  respond  to  the  notice of violation, the owner shall be liable for the
     7  assessed toll and any penalty as provided in such notice.
     8    (d) Electronic notice. Any toll bill required by this  section  to  be
     9  sent  by  first-class  mail  may  instead be sent by electronic means of
    10  communication upon the affirmative  consent  of  the  owner  in  a  form
    11  prescribed  by the authority. Provided that, notwithstanding this subdi-
    12  vision, a toll bill sent by electronic means of communication  shall  be
    13  sent within seventy-two hours of an owner incurring an obligation to pay
    14  a  toll.  Any notice of violation required by this section to be sent by
    15  first-class mail may in addition to first-class mail be  sent  by  elec-
    16  tronic  means of communication upon the affirmative consent of the owner
    17  in a form prescribed by the authority. A manual or automatic  record  of
    18  electronic  communications  prepared  in the ordinary course of business
    19  shall be sufficient record of electronic notice. Any affirmative consent
    20  to receive a toll bill or notice of violation by electronic means  shall
    21  be revocable by the owner at any time with notice to the public authori-
    22  ty or its agent and shall automatically be deemed revoked if the author-
    23  ity  or  its agent is unable to deliver two consecutive notices by elec-
    24  tronic means of communication.
    25    6. Procedure to contest. (a) Every public authority  that  operates  a
    26  cashless tolling facility, cashless tolling monitoring system, and tolls
    27  by mail program shall promulgate regulations establishing a procedure by
    28  which  a  person  alleged  to  be  liable for the payment of a toll or a
    29  violation may (i)  contest  such  alleged  liability,  (ii)  submit  the
    30  contest to a hearing, and (iii) have the right to appeal.
    31    (b)  Every  toll bill and notice of violation shall on its face advise
    32  the owner of the manner and the time in which to contest the toll or any
    33  violation and also contain a warning that  failure  to  contest  in  the
    34  manner  and  time provided shall be deemed an admission of liability and
    35  that a default judgment may be entered thereon.
    36    7. Adjudication of liability. Adjudication  of  an  owner's  liability
    37  shall  be  by  the  entity having jurisdiction over the cashless tolling
    38  facility or, where authorized, by an administrative  tribunal;  and  all
    39  such  liability determinations shall be heard and determined either: (a)
    40  in the county in which the obligation to pay a toll through the cashless
    41  tolling program was alleged to occur, or (b) where the toll  is  alleged
    42  to  have  been  incurred  in New York city and, upon the consent of both
    43  parties, in any county within New York city in which the public authori-
    44  ty operates or maintains a cashless tolling facility. Such adjudications
    45  shall be heard and determined in the same manner  as  charges  of  other
    46  regulatory  violations of such public authority or pursuant to the rules
    47  and regulations of such administrative tribunal as the case may be.
    48    8. Evidence of obligation to pay a toll or violation.  (a)  A  certif-
    49  icate  sworn  to  or  affirmed by an agent of the public authority which
    50  charged that a liability for an obligation to pay a toll or a  violation
    51  has  been  incurred,  or  a  facsimile  thereof based upon inspection of
    52  recorded images produced by a cashless tolling monitoring  system  shall
    53  be  prima  facie  evidence  of  the facts contained therein and shall be
    54  admissible in any proceeding charging  a  liability  for  a  toll  or  a
    55  violation pursuant to this section.

        A. 3801--A                          6

     1    (b) Any such recorded images and certificate evidencing such liability
     2  shall  be  available to the owner upon request for inspection and admis-
     3  sion into evidence in any proceeding to adjudicate such liability.
     4    (c) Any liability imposed pursuant to this section shall be based upon
     5  a preponderance of evidence as submitted.
     6    9. Defenses. It shall be a valid defense to an allegation of liability
     7  for a toll and/or violation that:
     8    (a)  the vehicle was not used or operated in violation of this section
     9  or the regulations promulgated hereunder;
    10    (b) the vehicle was used or operated without  the  permission  of  the
    11  owner, express or implied;
    12    (c)  the  recipient  of a toll bill or notice of violation was not the
    13  owner of the vehicle  at  the  time  the  obligation  to  pay  the  toll
    14  occurred;
    15    (d)  the  vehicle had been stolen prior to the time the obligation was
    16  incurred and was not in the possession of the  owner  at  the  time  the
    17  obligation  was incurred. For the purposes of asserting this defense, it
    18  shall be sufficient that a certified copy of the police  report  on  the
    19  stolen  vehicle  is  submitted  to  the public authority, court or other
    20  entity having jurisdiction;
    21    (e) the vehicle had  been  leased  at  the  time  the  obligation  was
    22  incurred.  For the purpose of asserting this defense, it shall be suffi-
    23  cient  that a copy of the rental lease or other contract document cover-
    24  ing the vehicle on the date and time the toll was incurred is  submitted
    25  to the public authority, court or other entity having jurisdiction with-
    26  in  thirty days of the lessor receiving the original toll bill or notice
    27  of violation. Such document shall include the name and  address  of  the
    28  lessee.  Failure  to  timely  submit such information shall constitute a
    29  waiver of this defense. Where the lessor complies with the provisions of
    30  this section, the lessee shall be deemed to be the owner of the  vehicle
    31  for  purposes of this section and shall be subject to liability pursuant
    32  to this section, provided that the authority mails a toll  bill  to  the
    33  lessee  within ten days after the court or other entity having jurisdic-
    34  tion, deems the lessee to be the owner.
    35    10. Finding of violation. (a) Any liability imposed pursuant  to  this
    36  section shall not be deemed a conviction as an operator and shall not be
    37  made  part  of  the  motor  vehicle  operating record, maintained by the
    38  commissioner of motor vehicles pursuant to the vehicle and traffic  law,
    39  of  the  person upon whom such liability is imposed nor shall it be used
    40  for insurance purposes in  the  provision  of  motor  vehicle  insurance
    41  coverage.
    42    (b)  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of any other law, order, rule or
    43  regulation to the contrary, no registration of any non-commercial  motor
    44  vehicle  may  be  suspended, revoked or denied renewal resulting from an
    45  obligation to pay a toll at a cashless tolling facility as described  in
    46  this  section  and the commissioner of motor vehicles shall not suspend,
    47  revoke or deny renewal of the registration  of  a  non-commercial  motor
    48  vehicle resulting from an obligation to pay a toll at a cashless tolling
    49  facility  as described in this section unless such owner is found liable
    50  for failure to pay or respond to five or more notices of unrelated  toll
    51  bills  or  is  liable  for  no  less  than  one hundred fifty dollars in
    52  outstanding toll bills within an eighteen month period.
    53    11. Indemnification. Any owner who is found liable  pursuant  to  this
    54  section  who  was  not the operator of the vehicle at the time the obli-
    55  gation to pay the toll was incurred may maintain an action for  indemni-
    56  fication against the operator.

        A. 3801--A                          7
 
     1    12.  Data  protection. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
     2  all images, videos and other recorded images collected by the  authority
     3  pursuant to this section shall be for the exclusive use of such authori-
     4  ty  in  the  discharge of its duties under this section and shall not be
     5  open  to the public nor be used in any court in any action or proceeding
     6  pending therein unless such action or proceeding relates to the  imposi-
     7  tion of or indemnification for liability pursuant to this section.
     8    (b)  The authority, including any subsidiary or contractor involved in
     9  implementing or operating an electronic toll collection system or  tolls
    10  by  mail  program,  shall  not sell, distribute or make available in any
    11  way, the names and addresses of any owner that participates in the tolls
    12  by mail program, provided that the foregoing restriction  shall  not  be
    13  deemed to preclude the exchange of such information between any entities
    14  with  jurisdiction  over or operating of a cashless tolling facility for
    15  the purpose of administering such tolls by mail program.
    16    13. Display of toll charges. Any toll that will  be  charged  for  the
    17  usage  of  any  bridge, tunnel, road, or any other entity by a passenger
    18  motor vehicle  shall  be  displayed  conspicuously  and  prominently  on
    19  signage  of  a  reasonable  size  in  a  manner reasonably calculated to
    20  provide ample and adequate notice.
    21    14. Debt collection. (a) On  or  after  the  effective  date  of  this
    22  section,  no public authority which operates a cashless tolling facility
    23  shall sell or transfer any debt owed to the public authority by an owner
    24  for a violation of toll collection  regulations  to  a  debt  collection
    25  agency  unless  one  year  has  passed from the date the owner was found
    26  liable for the violation of toll collection regulations associated  with
    27  such debt, or the owner has a total debt owed to the public authority of
    28  five  hundred  dollars or more. The authority shall not sell or transfer
    29  any debt to a debt collection agency unless  such  authority  has  first
    30  obtained  a  default judgment in a court or administrative tribunal with
    31  jurisdiction over the assessed toll.
    32    (b) A notice shall be sent by first-class mail advising the owner that
    33  the debt described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall be sold or
    34  transferred by the authority to a debt collection agency on a  specified
    35  date no less than thirty days prior to such sale or transfer.
    36    15.  Installment  payment plan. Every public authority that operates a
    37  cashless tolling facility, cashless tolling monitoring system, and tolls
    38  by mail program shall promulgate rules and regulations that establish an
    39  installment payment plan  for  the  payment  of  any  toll  and  penalty
    40  incurred  at  a  cashless  tolling facility. Information related to such
    41  plan shall be included in any toll bill and any notice of violation  and
    42  shall  be  displayed  conspicuously  on  the authorities' websites. Each
    43  owner, at his or her election, may participate in such plan. The  public
    44  authority  shall not charge any additional fees or penalties for enroll-
    45  ment in a payment plan.
    46    16. Annual report. Every public authority that adopts a  demonstration
    47  program  pursuant  to  subdivision  two  of this section shall submit an
    48  annual report on the tolls by mail program to the governor,  the  tempo-
    49  rary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly and post on
    50  its  website on or before the first day of June succeeding the effective
    51  date of this section and on the same date in  each  succeeding  year  in
    52  which  the demonstration program is operable. Such report shall include,
    53  but not be limited to:
    54    (a) the locations where vehicle sensors for cashless tolling  monitor-
    55  ing systems were used;

        A. 3801--A                          8
 
     1    (b) the aggregate number of tolls paid at the locations where cashless
     2  tolling facilities were used, including both through the use of an oper-
     3  able electronic device and through the tolls by mail program;
     4    (c)  the  number  of  owners that paid their toll through the tolls by
     5  mail program;
     6    (d) the number of owners that paid their  toll  upon  receipt  of  the
     7  first toll bill;
     8    (e)  the  number  of  owners  that paid their toll upon receipt of the
     9  second toll bill;
    10    (f) the number of owners that were charged a five dollar fee for  late
    11  payment  and  the aggregate amount of fees for late payment collected by
    12  the authority;
    13    (g) the number of owners that were charged a penalty,  the  amount  of
    14  the  penalty  charged  to  owners  and the aggregate amount of penalties
    15  collected by the authority;
    16    (h) the number of owners that disputed the toll bill,  the  number  of
    17  owners  that successfully disputed such toll bill and an itemized break-
    18  down of the reasons for successfully disputed tolls;
    19    (i) the number of owners that disputed the notice of violation and the
    20  number of owners that successfully disputed such notice of violation;
    21    (j) the number of owners that paid their  toll  upon  receipt  of  the
    22  notice of violation;
    23    (k) the aggregate amount of penalties charged to owners;
    24    (l)  a  copy  of  all  regulations the reporting authority promulgated
    25  pursuant to this section;
    26    (m) the number of tolls adjudicated  by  every  public  authority  and
    27  court,  including  any  appeal of such adjudications, and the results of
    28  all adjudications including breakdowns of dispositions  made  for  tolls
    29  recorded by such systems;
    30    (n)  the  total amount of revenue realized by such authority from such
    31  adjudications;
    32    (o) expenses incurred by such authority in connection with  the  tolls
    33  by mail program;
    34    (p) the nature of the adjudication process and its results; and
    35    (q)  the  number of owners whose toll bills and violation notices were
    36  returned to the public authority as undeliverable.
    37    § 4. a. Within 90 days of the effective date of this act, the  Tribor-
    38  ough  Bridge  and  Tunnel Authority organized pursuant to section 552 of
    39  the public authorities law shall implement an amnesty  program  for  all
    40  persons  who,  with  respect to any toll obligation incurred on or after
    41  November 1, 2016 at a cashless tolling facility operated by the authori-
    42  ty, (1) owe tolls, fines, fees, or penalties; (2) have been referred  to
    43  a  debt  collection  agency;  or (3) have had their vehicle registration
    44  suspended. Such amnesty program shall be at least eight weeks  in  dura-
    45  tion  and  shall  provide that upon an owner's payment or contesting the
    46  outstanding toll balance during the amnesty  period  (1)  the  authority
    47  shall waive all fees, fines, and penalties associated with the outstand-
    48  ing toll balance, and (2) the authority shall advise the commissioner of
    49  motor  vehicles,  in  such  form and manner that such commissioner shall
    50  have prescribed, that such person has  responded  and  any  registration
    51  suspension shall be rescinded.
    52    b. The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority shall undertake a public
    53  awareness  campaign  for such amnesty program, maintain a public website
    54  for any person to obtain information on any  outstanding  tolls  and  no
    55  later  than  30  days  preceding the commencement of the amnesty period,
    56  notify by first-class mail all persons with outstanding toll balances of

        A. 3801--A                          9
 
     1  their eligibility for the amnesty program. The authority  shall  provide
     2  for  sufficient  methods to pay the outstanding toll balances, including
     3  but not limited to, by phone, by mail, or through the internet.
     4    § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
     5  it  shall  have become a law; provided, however that sections two, three
     6  and four of this act shall expire 5 years after such effective date when
     7  upon such  date  such  provisions  of  such  sections  shall  be  deemed
     8  repealed.  Effective  immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal
     9  of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of  this  act
    10  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized to be made and completed on or
    11  before such effective date.
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