Requires registration of electric scooter programs; establishes the street and sidewalk infrastructure fund for projects supporting the repair, maintenance, and improvement of streets, sidewalks, and related pedestrian infrastructure.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9055
IN SENATE
January 28, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- 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, in relation to electric
scooter programs; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to
establishing the street and sidewalk infrastructure fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new
2 section 1290 to read as follows:
3 § 1290. Electric scooter programs. 1. As used in this section, the
4 following terms shall have the following meanings:
5 (a) "Electric scooter program" shall mean any service operated by a
6 city agency, including but not limited to the department of transporta-
7 tion, or a private organization or entity authorized through contract
8 with a city agency, offering electric scooters for short-term public
9 rental.
10 (b) "Operator" shall mean any person, firm, corporation, partnership,
11 association, or other entity engaged in the business of managing or
12 providing an electric scooter program.
13 2. Each operator shall remit to the department a fee to be determined
14 by the commissioner, which shall be deposited into the street and side-
15 walk infrastructure fund established pursuant to section ninety-nine-uu
16 of the state finance law.
17 3. (a) All electric scooters in an electric scooter program shall be
18 registered annually with the department.
19 (b) As part of such registration required pursuant to paragraph (a) of
20 this subdivision, each electric scooter shall be subject to an annual
21 safety inspection, including evaluation of mechanical integrity and
22 lithium-ion battery safety standards.
23 4. Every operator shall maintain a twenty-four hour, seven day per
24 week response system to allow reporting of and prompt removal of improp-
25 erly parked electric scooters.
26 5. (a) Any operator who fails to comply with the provisions of this
27 section shall be subject to civil fines, and/or suspension or revocation
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13835-02-6
S. 9055 2
1 of their registration for an electric scooter program, as determined by
2 the commissioner.
3 (b) Any electric scooter reported to be obstructing an accessible
4 route in violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of
5 1990, as amended (Public Law 101-336), to an operator pursuant to subdi-
6 vision four of this section which is not promptly removed shall be
7 subject to enhanced penalties.
8 6. The commissioner shall promulgate all rules and regulations neces-
9 sary for the implementation of this section.
10 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-uu to
11 read as follows:
12 § 99-uu. Street and sidewalk infrastructure fund. 1. There is hereby
13 established in the joint custody of the comptroller, the commissioner of
14 taxation and finance, and the commissioner of transportation, a fund to
15 be known as the "street and sidewalk infrastructure fund".
16 2. Such fund shall consist of moneys required to be deposited thereto
17 pursuant to section twelve hundred ninety of the vehicle and traffic
18 law, and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto
19 from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this
20 section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts, or
21 bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and
22 depositing them into the fund according to law.
23 3. Moneys of the fund shall be made available to the department of
24 transportation for projects supporting the repair, maintenance, and
25 improvement of streets, sidewalks, and related pedestrian infrastruc-
26 ture.
27 4. The commissioner of transportation shall include in the depart-
28 ment's annual report made pursuant to section fourteen of the transpor-
29 tation law, a summary of how the moneys of the fund were utilized during
30 the preceding fiscal year, which shall include:
31 (a) the amount of money disbursed from the fund and the process used
32 for such disbursements;
33 (b) recipients of awards from the fund;
34 (c) the amount awarded to each; and
35 (d) the purposes for which such awards were granted.
36 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
37 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
38 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
39 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
40 completed on or before such effective date.
