What's happening
This bill expands the MTA Long Island Railroad no fare program to include certain Nassau County court officers with peace officer status.
Why it matters
Extending free LIRR travel to Nassau County court officers recognizes their peace officer status, acknowledging their law enforcement role beyond traditional police forces. This could improve their ability to respond rapidly to emergencies or incidents while commuting.
The bill aims to enhance commuter safety by ensuring more trained officers, including court officers, are present and visible on trains. Their presence can deter crime and provide assistance during incidents, potentially making public transit safer for everyone.
This legislation may set a precedent for similar benefits for other categories of peace officers or public safety personnel in the future, broadening the definition of who qualifies for such programs. It could lead to further inclusivity and recognition of various roles in public safety.
The expansion could have minor fiscal and operational implications for the MTA and LIRR, as it slightly increases the pool of individuals eligible for no-fare travel, prompting considerations of program management and oversight. This may affect how such programs are evaluated and adjusted going forward.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Free LIRR Rides for Court Officers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5700
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 26, 2017
Introduced by Sen. KAMINSKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to including certain members of the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County in the MTA Long Island Railroad no fare program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 14 of section 1266 of the public authorities law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
14. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or the terms of any contract, the authority, in consultation with the Long Island Rail Road, shall establish and implement a no fare program for transportation on the Long Island Rail Road for police officers employed by the city of New York, county of Nassau, Nassau county villages and cities, county of Suffolk, Suffolk county villages and towns, the division of state police, the port authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, the New York city housing authority [and], the New York city transit authority and senior court officers, court officer sergeants, court officer lieutenants, court officer captains, court officer majors, court officer chiefs and court clerks who hold peace officer status of the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau county. In establishing such program, which has as its goal increased protection and improved safety for its commuters, the authority and the Long Island Rail Road shall, among other things, consider: (a) requiring police officers who ride without cost to register with the Long Island Rail Road as a condition of riding without cost; (b) requiring such officers to indicate during such registration process their regular working hours and the Long Island Rail Road trains that such officers expect to ride; and (c) periodically re-registering and re-validating such officers. The authority and the Long Island Rail Road shall also have the power to consider other matters necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10985-01-7
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 including certain members of the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County in the MTA Long Island Railroad no fare program
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 14 of section 1266 of the public authorities law as described in the bill.
Justification
The trained Peace Officers who are allowed free fare under this bill are members of the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County. These individuals are trained in all aspects of public protection, armed, and regularly trained and recertified in firearms. Their presence on the LIRR trains enhances safety for all passengers and those contributions should be recognized though a waiver of fare.
Legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
Immediate
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.