NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9622
SPONSOR: Hyndman TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties
for failure to yield to authorized emergency vehicles
PURPOSE:
To amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties for fail-
ure to yield to authorized emergency vehicles.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law (duty to
yield to an emergency vehicle) by adding a new subdivision (c) that
states that any person who violates the provisions of this section shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor. First conviction shall be punishable by a
fine of not more than three hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not
more than thirty days or by both. For a conviction of a second violation
within a period of ten years a person shall be punishable by a fine of
not more than six hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
ninety days or by both. For a conviction of a third violation within a
period of ten years a person shall be punishable by a fine of not more
than nine hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one-hun-
dred eighty days or by both.
Section 2 of the bill provides that the act shall take effect immediate-
ly.
EXISTING LAW:
Existing law does not provide such penalties.
JUSTIFICATION:
It is in the public's best interest for drivers to yield to emergency
vehicles. In a time of an emergency every second counts. It is every
motorist's responsibility to not impede emergency vehicles which will
cause delays in responding to the emergency. Establishing such failure
to yield as a misdemeanor reinforces the critical importance of this
duty.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22 REFERRED TO SENATE TRANSPORTATION
2019-20 REFERRED TO SENATE TRANSPORTATION
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9622
IN ASSEMBLY
March 26, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties
for failure to yield to authorized emergency vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision (c) to read as follows:
3 (c) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be
4 guilty of a misdemeanor, and for a first conviction thereof shall be
5 punishable by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars or by impri-
6 sonment for not more than thirty days or by both such fine and imprison-
7 ment; for a conviction of a second violation, both of which were commit-
8 ted within a period of ten years, a person shall be punishable by a fine
9 of not more than six hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more
10 than ninety days or by both such fine and imprisonment; upon a
11 conviction of a third or subsequent violation, all of which were commit-
12 ted within a period of ten years, a person shall be punishable by a fine
13 of not more than nine hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more
14 than one hundred eighty days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09524-01-3
