What's happening
This bill allows law enforcement and fire department vessels to disregard certain navigation laws during emergencies, with required signals and safety conditions.
Why it matters
This bill gives law enforcement and fire department vessels the legal authority to ignore most standard boating navigation laws—but only when responding to emergencies—allowing them to reach people in danger or crime scenes more quickly.
To use these privileges, the vessel must have both visible emergency lights (blue or red, visible from 500 feet) and audible signals (such as a siren or horn), ensuring other boaters are clearly warned of their approach and intentions.
Despite these new privileges, operators are still legally required to act with caution and can be held responsible if they operate recklessly or endanger others, maintaining a check against unsafe behavior.
The law clarifies when and how emergency vessels can override navigation rules, potentially reducing confusion or liability for first responders and improving response times in critical situations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Emergency Boats Get Rule Exemption
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.446
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.346
- Referred to cultural affairs, tourism, parks and recreation
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.
Let Emergency Boats Break Rules
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1185
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 6, 2017
Introduced by Sen. MARCELLINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation
AN ACT to amend the navigation law, in relation to providing an exemption from certain laws for operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels responding to emergencies on the navigable waters of the state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section 39-b to read as follows:
§ 39-b. Law enforcement and fire department vessels. 1. The operator of a law enforcement or fire department vessel, when involved in an emergency operation on the navigable waters of the state, may exercise the privileges set forth in subdivision two of this section, but subject to the conditions set forth in subdivisions three and four of this section.
2. The operator of a law enforcement or fire department vessel may disregard any law, rule or regulation of this state or any local law or ordinance of a municipality of this state governing the movement or turning of vessels upon such navigable waters.
3. The privileges granted to the operator of a law enforcement or fire department vessel pursuant to this section shall apply only when audible signals are sounded from any such vessel while in motion by bell, horn, siren, electronic device or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, and when the vessel is equipped with at least one lighted lamp so that from any direction, under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet from such vessel, at least one blue or red light will be displayed and visible.
4. The provisions of this section shall not relieve the operator of a law enforcement or fire department vessel from the duty to operate such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05831-01-7
S. 1185 2
vessel with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the operator from the consequences of his or her reckless disregard for the safety of others.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the navigation law, in relation to providing an exemption from certain laws for operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels responding to emergencies on the navigable waters of the state
Purpose
This bill exempts law enforcement and fire departments from laws which regulate vessels on the navigable waters of the state while in the course of responding to emergencies.
Summary of provisions
Adds a new section 39-b of the Navigation Law to provide an exemption from certain laws for law enforcement vessels responding to emergencies on the navigable waters of the state.
Justification
The New York State Harbormaster & Bay Constable Association have raised a concern that NYS Navigation Law does not exempt bona fide law enforcement agencies and fire departments from deviating from the State Law when responding to emergencies or in pursuit of law enforcement activities. Such exemptions currently exist in the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law with regards to police and emergency vehicles.
This omission may become an issue of liability on the part of State, County and Local government. This legislation will remedy the situation.
Legislative history
S387-A of 2015/16
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.