Enacts the "make the MTA safe again act" to suspend state funding to the metropolitan transportation authority and New York city transit authority pending safety compliance and until an independent forensic audit is conducted and completed.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7350
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to suspending
state funding to the metropolitan transportation authority and New
York city transit authority pending safety compliance and a forensic
audit; and providing for the repeal of such 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. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "make the MTA safe again act."
3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that the
4 safety and security of transit passengers and workers within the metro-
5 politan transportation authority (MTA) and New York city transit author-
6 ity (NYCTA) systems are of paramount concern. Recent reports and over-
7 sight actions by the United States department of transportation
8 highlight significant deficiencies in crime prevention, fare enforce-
9 ment, and transit worker safety. New York State taxpayers deserve
10 accountability in transit funding, ensuring that financial resources are
11 directed toward public safety and system integrity. This act mandates a
12 temporary halt on state funding to the MTA and NYCTA until critical
13 safety and security benchmarks are met and an independent forensic audit
14 of the MTA's finances is completed.
15 § 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section
16 1279-m to read as follows:
17 § 1279-m. Suspension of state funding. 1. Notwithstanding any other
18 provision of law to the contrary, no future state funds shall be
19 disbursed to the authority or the New York city transit authority until
20 such time as the authorities provide sufficient documentation and
21 compliance with the following requirements:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11187-01-5
A. 7350 2
1 (a) Implementation of a comprehensive plan to reduce transit worker
2 assaults, including completion of de-escalation training for all rele-
3 vant employees and expansion of law enforcement presence within the
4 transit system;
5 (b) Demonstrable reduction in fare evasion through enforcement actions
6 and improved fare collection systems;
7 (c) Implementation of specific crime reduction measures to address
8 subway pushings, violent assaults, and other criminal activity occurring
9 on transit property; and
10 (d) Expanded efforts to prevent injuries and fatalities related to
11 suicide, trespassing, and "subway surfing."
12 2. (a) No state funds shall be appropriated or released to the author-
13 ity or New York city transit authority until an independent forensic
14 audit of the authority's finances is conducted and completed by an inde-
15 pendent auditor unaffiliated with the agency or its subsidiaries.
16 (b) Such audit shall assess financial management, security-related
17 expenditures, fare evasion loss estimates, and the allocation of state
18 and federal funds for safety improvements.
19 (c) The independent auditor shall provide a public report of findings,
20 and the authority shall be required to implement all recommendations to
21 address financial mismanagement, inefficiencies, and deficiencies
22 related to transit security.
23 3. (a) The authority and New York city transit authority shall submit
24 compliance reports detailing progress on safety and security benchmarks
25 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
26 the assembly, and the minority leaders of the senate and the assembly on
27 a quarterly basis.
28 (b) A joint legislative committee shall be empowered to review compli-
29 ance and recommend continuation or repeal of the funding suspension
30 based on demonstrated improvements.
31 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
32 deemed repealed upon verified and satisfactory compliance by the metro-
33 politan transportation authority with the provisions of section 1279-m
34 of the public authorities law pursuant to section three of this act;
35 provided that the chair of the metropolitan transportation authority
36 shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occur-
37 rence of the completion of the comprehensive plan and the forensic audit
38 pursuant to section 1279-m of the public authorities law provided for in
39 section three of this act in order that the commission may maintain an
40 accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws
41 of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions
42 of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public
43 officers law.
