STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1233
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, SANTABARBARA, TAYLOR, McDONOUGH, DeSTEFA-
NO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to drivers of
buses, taxis and livery vehicles using hands-free mobile telephones
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 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic
2 law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
3 (e) No driver of a bus, livery or taxi shall use a hands-free mobile
4 telephone while operating a moving bus or motor vehicle except in the
5 case of an emergency pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision three of
6 this section or if such hands-free mobile telephone is used for dispatch
7 or if the bus or motor vehicle is parked, for purposes other than drop-
8 ping off or picking up passengers, at the side of, or off, a public
9 highway in a location where such vehicle is not otherwise prohibited
10 from stopping by law, rule, regulation or any lawful order or direction
11 of a police officer.
12 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 1225-c of the vehicle and traffic law,
13 as added by chapter 69 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
14 follows:
15 3. Subdivision two of this section shall not apply to (a) the use of a
16 mobile telephone for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the
17 following regarding an emergency situation: an emergency response opera-
18 tor; a hospital, physician's office or health clinic; an ambulance
19 company or corps; a fire department, district or company; or a police
20 department, (b) any of the following persons while in the performance of
21 their official duties: a police officer or peace officer; a member of a
22 fire department, district or company; or the operator of an authorized
23 emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this chapter,
24 or (c) the use of a hands-free mobile telephone, except in the case of a
25 driver operating a bus, taxi or livery.
26 § 3. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
27 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02750-01-5
