Add §1212-a, V & T L; add §§120.75 & 125.28, amd §70.25, Pen L
Enacts Alexa and Lindsey's law; prohibits disabling safety features in motor vehicles; provides enhanced penalties where it causes an accident that harms or kills another person; provides that if multiple people are harmed or killed as a result of an unsafe vehicle modification a consecutive sentence may be imposed.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10423
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. RHOADS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the penal law, in
relation to prohibiting unsafe vehicle modifications and providing
enhanced sentencing guidelines where an accident harms or kills some-
one as a result of the unsafe vehicle modification
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 "Alexa and Lindsey's law".
3 § 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
4 1212-a to read as follows:
5 § 1212-a. Unsafe vehicle modifications. 1. For the purposes of this
6 section, "vehicle safety feature" shall mean any device, system, equip-
7 ment, software, or technology installed in or on a motor vehicle and
8 designed to assist in preventing crashes, reducing injuries or fatali-
9 ties, improving driver awareness or vehicle control, or otherwise
10 enhancing the safe operation of a motor vehicle, including but not
11 limited to safety belts, airbags, advanced driver assistance systems,
12 automatic emergency braking systems, collision avoidance systems, lane
13 departure warning systems, blind spot detection systems, electronic
14 stability control systems, backup cameras, and other computer-based or
15 automated safety technologies.
16 2. No person shall intentionally disable a vehicle safety feature on a
17 motor vehicle and operate such motor vehicle upon a public highway while
18 such vehicle safety features are disabled.
19 3. A violation of subdivision two of this section shall be a class A
20 misdemeanor.
21 § 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 120.75 to read
22 as follows:
23 § 120.75 Assault while operating a vehicle with a disabled vehicle safe-
24 ty feature.
25 A person is guilty of assault while operating a vehicle with a disa-
26 bled vehicle safety feature when such person causes serious physical
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15913-01-6
S. 10423 2
1 injury to another person when such person operates a motor vehicle in
2 violation of subdivision two of section one thousand two hundred
3 twelve-a of the vehicle and traffic law, and as a result of such vehicle
4 and safety feature being disabled causes such serious physical injury to
5 such other person.
6 Assault while operating a vehicle with a disabled vehicle safety
7 feature is a class D felony.
8 § 4. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 125.28 to read
9 as follows:
10 § 125.28 Manslaughter while operating a vehicle with a disabled vehicle
11 safety feature.
12 A person is guilty of manslaughter while operating a vehicle with a
13 disabled vehicle safety feature when such person causes the death of
14 another person when such person operates a motor vehicle in violation of
15 subdivision two of section one thousand two hundred twelve-a of the
16 vehicle and traffic law, and as a result of such vehicle and safety
17 feature being disabled causes the death of such other person.
18 Manslaughter while operating a vehicle with a disabled vehicle safety
19 feature is a class C felony.
20 § 5. Subdivision 2 of section 70.25 of the penal law, as amended by
21 chapter 56 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
22 2. (a) When more than one sentence of imprisonment is imposed on a
23 person for two or more offenses committed through a single act or omis-
24 sion, or through an act or omission which in itself constituted one of
25 the offenses and also was a material element of the other, the
26 sentences, except if one or more of such sentences is for a violation of
27 section 270.20 of this chapter, must run concurrently.
28 (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the court may
29 impose consecutive sentences where: (i) more than one sentence of impri-
30 sonment is imposed on a person for two or more counts in violation of
31 section 120.75 or 125.28 of this chapter; and (ii) such multiple counts
32 were charged based upon multiple victims suffering physical injury,
33 serious physical injury or death as a result of a single act or omission
34 of the defendant.
35 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
