Enacts the "taxi driver protection act"; requires a sign in every for-hire vehicle that states "ATTENTION: Assaulting A Taxi Driver Is Punishable By Up To Twenty-Five Years In Prison".
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3481
SPONSOR: Kim (MS) TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the penal law, in relation to the
crime of assault of an operator of a for-hire vehicle
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:
To protect taxi workers from being assaulted on the job by posting signs
in taxis alerting passengers of the punishment for assaulting taxi work-
ers.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1 titles the bill the "taxi
driver protection act."
Section 2 amends section 60.07 of the penal law to require every for-
hire vehicle to post a sign on the interior of such vehicle that states
"ATTENTION: Assaulting a Taxi Driver Is Punishable By Up To Twenty-Five
Years In Prison," provided, that operators of livery or black car vehi-
cles shall have the right but not the obligation to post such a sign
while providing for-hire vehicle services.
Section 3 provides for the act to take effect immediately.
JUSTIFICATION:
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, taxi
workers are thirty times more likely to be killed on the job than other
workers. New York City is home to the largest taxi driver industry in
the country.
Posting warning signs in taxi cabs would facilitate a public information
campaign designed to inform the public that attacks on taxi workers are
a very serious offense.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: A.11704 (2010); A.10058 (2010) (veto 6808
of 2010); A,207-B (2012)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: None..
EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.
