What's happening
This bill, "Seth's law," increases penalties for leaving the scene of a vehicle incident without reporting, including higher fines and felony charges.
Why it matters
Upgrades leaving the scene of an incident (other than failing to show ID or insurance) from a misdemeanor to a felony. , significantly increasing potential jail time and criminal consequences, which could deter hit-and-run behavior.
Raises minimum and maximum fines for most violations. , meaning individuals found guilty will face steeper financial penalties, adding a stronger disincentive to leave an accident scene.
Significantly escalates charges for repeat offenders and cases with serious injury or death. , reclassifying these from lower-level to higher-level felonies (e.g., from E to D, or D to C), reflecting the greater harm and making sentences potentially much longer.
Signals a shift in how New York prioritizes victim protection and accountability in traffic incidents. , likely impacting legal strategies, insurance liability, and public awareness of the consequences of fleeing an accident.
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Who cares
Drivers who leave injury incidents without reporting
The bill would raise the offense from a class A misdemeanor to a class E felony, with a $1,000–$1,500 fine, except for violations limited to failing to show documents or exchange information.
Repeat offenders
A subsequent conviction for leaving without reporting would become a class D felony, with a $1,500–$3,000 fine.
People seriously injured in crashes and families of those killed
The bill would raise leaving-the-scene offenses involving serious physical injury to class D felonies and those involving death to class C felonies, while increasing fines.
Prosecutors
The bill would provide higher felony classifications and fine ranges for charging qualifying leaving-the-scene violations.
Headline styles
Increase Hit-and-Run Penalties
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
15 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Print number 3230a
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Harsher Hit-and-Run Penalties
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Martin J. Golden
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3230--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ, ABBATE, BRAUNSTEIN, COOK, DenDEKKER, GALEF, GUNTHER, HOOPER, JAFFEE, McDONOUGH, PEOPLES-STOKES, RAIA, RAMOS, THIELE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLTON, FITZPATRICK, GARBARINO, GLICK, JOHNS, LUPARDO, RA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing penalties for leaving the scene of an incident without reporting
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Seth's law".
§ 2. Paragraph c of subdivision 2 of section 600 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 4 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
c. A violation of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision resulting solely from the failure of an operator to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for the vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph shall constitute a class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty nor more than five hundred dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law. Any subsequent such violation shall constitute a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law. Any violation of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision, other than for the mere failure of an operator to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph, shall constitute a class [A misdemeanor] E felony, punishable by a fine of not less than [five hundred] one thousand dollars nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law. Any such violation committed by a person after such person has previously
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05067-03-7
A. 3230--A 2
been convicted of such a violation shall constitute a class [E] D felony, punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand five hundred nor more than [two] three thousand [five hundred] dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law. Any violation of the provisions of paragraph a of this subdivision, other than for the mere failure of an operator to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph, where the personal injury involved (i) results in serious physical injury, as defined in section 10.00 of the penal law, shall constitute a class [E] D felony, punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand five hundred nor more than five thousand five hundred dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law, or (ii) results in death shall constitute a class [D] C felony punishable by a fine of not less than two thousand five hundred nor more than five thousand five hundred dollars in addition to any other penalties provided by law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that if section 4 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017 shall not have taken effect on or before such date then section two of this act shall take effect on such date and in the same manner as such chapter of the laws of 2017 takes effect.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.