Relates to establishing the Long Island Rail Road commuter relief fund for the purpose of maintaining fares on the Long Island Rail Road at 2018 levels.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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9166
IN SENATE
September 17, 2018
___________
Introduced by Sens. PHILLIPS, BOYLE, FLANAGAN, HANNON, LAVALLE, MARCEL-
LINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be commit-
ted to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the
Long Island Rail Road commuter relief fund; to amend the public
authorities law, in relation to Long Island Rail Road fares; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
of
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section
2 76-a to read as follows:
3 § 76-a. Long Island Rail Road commuter relief fund. 1. There is hereby
4 created in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the state
5 division of the budget a special fund to be known as the "Long Island
6 Rail Road commuter relief fund".
7 2. Such fund shall consist of not less than sixty million dollars
8 transferred from the general fund, subject to appropriation, using
9 moneys from extraordinary monetary settlement payments currently on
10 deposit with the state division of the budget. Such moneys shall be
11 utilized by the authority for the sole purpose of maintaining fares on
12 the Long Island Rail Road at two thousand eighteen levels as provided in
13 section twelve hundred sixty-six-l of the public authorities law.
14 § 2. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section
15 1266-l to read as follows:
16 § 1266-l. Long Island Rail Road fares. 1. All monies from the Long
17 Island Rail Road commuter relief fund as established by section seven-
18 ty-six-a of the state finance law shall be utilized by the authority for
19 the sole purpose of maintaining fares on the Long Island Rail Road at
20 two thousand eighteen levels, as approved by the authority pursuant to
21 subdivision three of section twelve hundred sixty-six of this title and
22 ensuring that the operating budget of the authority is sufficiently
23 funded to account for any loss of revenue caused by not increasing fares
24 beyond the two thousand eighteen levels.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16550-01-8
S. 9166 2
1 2. The authority shall receive a proportionate share of the annualized
2 amount of necessary fare replacement funds provided that the Long Island
3 Rail Road achieves an average monthly systemwide on time performance of
4 ninety-four percent or more. In addition, to remain eligible for the
5 fare replacement funds, the Long Island Rail Road shall be required to
6 increase its overall customer satisfaction score, as measured by the
7 railroad in a regularly conducted customer satisfaction survey, by at
8 least five percent annually, commencing with the next scheduled survey.
9 3. On time performance, as reported by the Long Island Rail Road,
10 shall be measured by trains that arrive at their final destination with-
11 in five minutes and fifty-nine seconds of scheduled arrival time.
12 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
13 deemed repealed on April 1, 2021 or upon the date on which a systemwide
14 transit and commuter railroad fare increase is scheduled to take effect
15 during the year 2021, whichever is later; provided that the metropolitan
16 transportation authority shall notify the legislative bill drafting
17 commission upon the occurrence of such systemwide transit and commuter
18 railroad fare increase in order that the commission may maintain an
19 accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws
20 of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions
21 of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public
22 officers law.
