What's happening
The bill requires New York gas stations to provide devices and assistance for disabled motorists at self-service pumps.
Why it matters
Improves accessibility for disabled drivers. by requiring gas stations to install a device allowing disabled motorists to easily signal for assistance at self-service pumps, removing barriers to fueling up independently.
Mandates in-person assistance at no extra cost,. ensuring that disabled drivers pay the same price for fuel as other customers and are not charged additional fees for needing help.
Sets clear compliance timelines and partial exemptions. Owners of a single station have one year to comply, while multi-station owners must bring at least half their stations into compliance within a year and all within three years. Stations operated solely by one cashier using remote equipment are exempt.
Requires ADA-compliant signage and equipment placement. so that call devices are easy to locate and use, helping ensure practical usability and awareness for those who need assistance.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Assist Disabled Drivers at Pumps
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
- Referred to consumer protection
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.
Help Disabled Drivers At Pumps
In Assembly Committee · Economic Development · Sponsor Thomas Abinanti
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3645
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 25, 2017
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to providing gas station assistance to disabled motorists
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 396-bb of the general business law are renumbered subdivisions 3 and 4 and a new subdivision 2 is added to read as follows:
2. a. Any gasoline station offering the public sale of gasoline at self-service islands shall provide a minimum of one self-service island device that allows a disabled person, parked at that station in a vehicle displaying a disabled license plate issued by New York state or a valid disabled license plate issued by any other state, or a valid disabled license plate issued by the federal government, to signal an employee that the driver requires assistance in dispensing motor fuel. An attendant shall then arrive to dispense motor fuel at no additional cost beyond the price that the fuel is being offered to the general public. A device shall be installed that alerts the employee inside the building that assistance is required at the pump, and shall be mounted between thirty-four and forty-eight inches from the ground. A sign shall be conspicuously posted at the self-service station that meets the American Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines identifying the call device and the hours when assistance will be available and operable from the vehicle.
b. The gasoline station shall not be required to provide the service provided for in paragraph a of this subdivision during times when such station is being operated on a remote control basis by only one employee and a passenger in that vehicle is reasonably capable of dispensing motor fuel. Paragraph a of this subdivision shall not apply to gasoline
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03310-01-7
S. 3645 2
stations that are operated by one cashier and remote control equipment for dispensing motor fuel.
c. If an owner owns only one gasoline station in New York state, then that gas station must be in compliance within one year of the effective date of this subdivision. If an owner owns more than one gasoline station in New York state then the owner must make at least fifty percent of those gasoline stations compliant with this subdivision within one year of the effective date of this subdivision. In either case the owner must be in compliance within three years of the effective date of this subdivision.
§ 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 general business law, in relation to providing gas station assistance to disabled motorists
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill will provide a disabled motorist that has physical disabilities with an opportunity to receive assistance when filling his or her gas tank at a self service gas station.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill would amend Section Subdivision 2 and 3 of section 396-bb of the general business law and renumber it to 3 and 4. A new subdivision 2 is added to include the following:
Section 2. a. Any gasoline station offering the public sale of gasoline at self-service islands shall provide a minimum of one self-service island device that allows a disabled person parked at that station in a vehicle, displaying a disabled license plate issued by New York State or a valid disabled license Plate issued by any other state, to signal an employee that the driver requires assistance in dispensing motor fuel. An attendant will then arrive to dispense motor fuel at no additional cost beyond the price that the fuel is being offered to the general public. A device shall be installed that alerts the employee inside the building that assistance is required at the pump, and shall be mounted between thirty-four and forty-eight inches from the ground. A sign shall be conspicuously posted at the self-service station that meets the American Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines identifying the call device and the hours when assistance will be available and operable from the vehicle.
b. The gasoline station will not be required to provide this service during times when the fueling station is being operated on a remote control basis by only one employee and a passenger in that vehicle is reasonably capable of dispensing motor fuel. Paragraph a of this subdivision shall not apply to gasoline stations that are operated by one cashier and remote control equipment for dispensing motor fuel.
c. If an owner owns only one gasoline station in New York State, then that gas station must be in compliance within one year of the effective dates of this subdivision. If an owner owns more than one gasoline station in New York State then the owner must make at least fifty percent of those gasoline stations compliance. If an owner owns more than one gas station in New York State then the owner must make at least fifty percent of those gas stations compliant with this subdivision within one year of the effective date of this subdivision. In either case the owner must be in compliance within three years of the effective date of this subdivision.
This act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
This bill meets a need for thousands of disabled motorist traveling in New York State and makes gas stations more compliant with the spirit and law of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.1926/A.936 -Referred to Consumer Protection 2013-14: S.2837/A.1231- Referred to Consumer Protection 2011-12: S.3507/A.9482- Referred to Consumer Protection 2009-10: S.6886 - Died in Consumer Protection
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately after passage of bill.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.