What's happening
This bill increases the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority board from 10 to 11 members, adding a representative for the transit dependent or disabled community.
Why it matters
Ensures direct representation for transit-dependent and disabled individuals. on the board, potentially resulting in more responsive policies and decisions that better address accessibility and service equity.
Shifts a previously non-voting seat (for the transit dependent/disabled community) to a full voting board member. , giving this community real influence over authority actions, budgets, and priorities, not just a symbolic voice.
May lead to increased focus on issues such as ADA compliance, paratransit, and service reliability. , which are critical for people who rely on public transit due to disability or economic need.
Signals a broader trend toward inclusivity and accountability. within public authorities, possibly setting a precedent for other transit agencies in New York and beyond to provide meaningful representation for vulnerable communities.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Transit Board Membership
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.761
- Print number 3460a
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to corporations, authorities and commissions
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 63–0
Show 3 earlier actions
- Ordered to third reading cal.1448
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- 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.
Add Voice to Transit Board
In Assembly Committee · Corporations, Authorities And Commissions · Sponsor Michael J. Norris
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3460--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 23, 2017
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- recommitted to the Committee on Transportation in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the composition of the board of the Niagara Frontier transportation authority
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 1299-c of the public authorities law, as amended by chapter 220 of the laws of 2012, paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 197 of the laws of 2017, and paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 176 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
1. (a) There is hereby created the "Niagara Frontier transportation authority." The authority shall be a body corporate and politic constituting a public benefit corporation. The authority shall consist of a chairman, [ten] eleven other members and shall have [two] one non-voting [members] member as described in [paragraphs (b) and (c)] paragraph (b) of this subdivision appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the senate. The chairman and all members shall be residents of the district. Of the [ten] eleven members other than the chairman, one shall be appointed upon the written recommendation of the Erie county executive [and], one shall be appointed upon the written recommendation of the Erie county legislature, and one shall be appointed as a representative of the transit dependent community or people with disabilities as described in paragraph (c) of this subdivision. The chairman and each of the members shall be appointed for a term of eight years, provided however, that the chairman first appointed shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the eight other members first appointed, one shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-eight, two shall serve for
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08645-02-8
S. 3460--A 2
a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-nine, one shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy, two shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventyone, one shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-two and one shall serve for a term ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-three. The term of one of the members appointed to memberships first created by law after April first, nineteen hundred sixty-nine shall end on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-four, and the term of the other such member shall end on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred seventy-five. Following the expiration of any term ending on or after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred eighty-seven, each member shall be appointed for a term of five years beginning on the day after the expiration date of such prior term; provided, however, that the term of the member first appointed upon the written recommendation of the Erie county executive and the term of the member first appointed upon the written recommendation of the Erie county legislature shall be for a term ending on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-six.
(b) The first non-voting member of the authority who shall not be considered in determining a quorum, shall be recommended to the governor by the labor organization representing the plurality of the employees within the authority and shall be a resident of the Niagara Frontier transportation district as described in section twelve hundred ninetynine-b of this title. Such first non-voting member shall be appointed for a term of five years, provided, however, that if at any time during the term of appointment such non-voting member ceases to be affiliated with the labor organization representing the plurality of employees within the authority, then such labor organization may at any time during such term recommend a new member to the governor who shall serve the remainder of the term. If the local bargaining unit decertifies its existing union affiliation and certifies a new union, the union which represents the plurality of the employees may recommend a new member to the governor who shall serve the remainder of the term. The chairman of the authority, at his or her discretion, may exclude such non-voting member from attending any portion of a meeting of the authority or of any committee held for the purpose of discussing negotiations with labor organizations, pending litigation involving the labor organization, or the investigation, evaluation, or discipline of an employee.
(c) There shall [also] be a second non-voting member of the authority[, who shall not be considered in determining a quorum. The second non-voting member shall be] appointed by the governor as a representative of the transit dependent community and/or people with disabilities. The second non-voting member shall be appointed for a term of five years.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the composition of the board of the Niagara Frontier trans- portation authority
Purpose or general idea of bill
To provide a representative of the transit dependent community and/or people with disabilities with voting positions on the NFTA Board of Commissioners.
Summary of specific provisions
Amends subdivision 1 of Section 1299-c of the public authorities law to provide a representative of the transit dependent community.and/or people with disabilities with voting positions on the NFTA Board of Commissioners.
Justification
Under current law, the NFTA Board of Commissioners consists of one chairman, ten voting members, and two non-voting members. One nonvoting member represents the Authority's largest labor organization, and the second non-voting member represents the transit dependent community and/or people with disabilities. By switching this member from a non- voting member to a voting member ensures that the needs of the transit dependent individuals represented have a true voice and vote when it comes to the critical matter of their mass transit transportation.
Under this bill, the number of voting members of the Board (in addition to the Chairman) would increase from ten to eleven. The additional voting member would be representatives of the transit dependent communi- ty and/or people with disabilities. The transit dependent community and people with disabilities represent a significant percentage of the NFTA Metro ridership base. The appointment of this voting members will ensure that their interests are properly represented and taken into consider- ation by the board. This member would also provide real time input from those constituencies and help the NFTA best serve and connect with riders.
Prior legislative history
2013-14 - A.3133, held in Assembly Corporations Committee 2015-16 - A.1081- Held in Assembly Corporations Committee
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This bill shall take effect on the 180th day after becoming a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.