What's happening
This bill designates a portion of the Southern State Parkway in Nassau County as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway."
Why it matters
Commemorates Detective Steven McDonald’s legacy. Naming this highway section honors Detective McDonald, a NYPD officer known for his advocacy of forgiveness and peace after surviving a life-altering injury in the line of duty, raising public awareness about his contributions.
Impacts community identity and memory. The ceremonial highway designation can foster local pride and remembrance, making his story more visible to thousands of daily commuters and helping embed his values into the community narrative.
No change to official maps or addresses. The bill specifies the designation is ceremonial, so it won’t alter official highway names used for navigation, emergency services, or postal addresses—limiting administrative disruption.
Potential catalyst for future memorials. This act may encourage similar honorary namings for other public servants, shaping how New York memorializes civic heroes and influences public dialogue about service and sacrifice.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Name Road for Detective McDonald
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Signed chap.172
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.631
- Substituted for A8378A
- Referred to transportation
- Returned to assembly
- Repassed senate
- Amended on third reading 6549a
- Vote reconsidered - restored to third reading
- Returned to senate
Show 6 earlier actions
- Recalled from assembly
- Referred to transportation
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1504
- Referred to rules
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.
Name Highway for Detective McDonald
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Brian F. Curran
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6549--A Cal. No. 1504
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 1, 2017
Introduced by Sens. FLANAGAN, GOLDEN, LAVALLE, CROCI, BOYLE, MARCELLINO, HANNON, PHILLIPS, BROOKS, KAMINSKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of the state highway system in Nassau county as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 344-g to read as follows:
§ 344-g. Portion of the state highway system to be designated as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway". All that portion of the highway system constituting the Southern State Parkway, beginning at the interchange of the Belt Parkway and the Cross Island Parkway, continuing in a generally easterly direction, and terminating at exit 22, the intersection of the Meadowbrook State Parkway, shall be designated and known as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway".
§ 2. The commissioner of transportation shall provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system as designated pursuant to section one of this act. However, to avoid confusion and to limit any possible disruption of commerce, the designation called for pursuant to section one of this act shall be one of ceremonial nature and the official name of such highway shall not be changed as a result of this act.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11782-03-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to designating a portion of the state highway system in Nassau county as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway"
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to designate a portion of the state highway system as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway".
Summary of provisions
Section one of the bill designates the portion of the state highway system constituting the Southern State Parkway, beginning at the interchange of the Belt Parkway and the Cross Island Parkway, continuing in a generally easterly direction, and terminating at exit 22, the intersection of the Meadowbrook State Parkway, as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway".
Section two of the bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation to provide for the installation and maintenance of adequate signing of the state highway system as designated by section one.
Justification
Steven McDonald, was born in Queens Village on March 1, 1957, and grew up on Long Island. He spent four years as a medical corpsman in the United States Navy before joining the New York City Police Department.
On July 12, 1986, Detective McDonald was on patrol when he spotted bicycle thief Shavod "Buddha" Jones and two other teenagers in Central Park. When he moved to frisk one of them, the 15-year-old Jones shot McDonald three times, with one bullet piercing the officer's spinal column and leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. His wife was three months pregnant at the time of the shooting.
In 1987, with Steven still struggling to recover, he made a statement about Jones through his wife that defined the rest of his life: "I forgive him and hope he can find peace and purpose in his life." Steven had to breathe with a respirator and used a wheelchair for mobility. He found strength and support in his family and Roman Catholic religion.
In the years to follow, Steven met with Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, and sat for an interview with Barbara Walters. He also took his message of forgiveness to Israel, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. The New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) established the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, for the team member who goes above and beyond the call of duty, in his honor following the 1987-1988 NHL season. Steven was an avid hockey fan and personally presented the award winner with a trophy and a $25,000 check, in the player's name, made out to the Steven McDonald Foundation. Steven's story was documented in the book "The Steven McDonald Story" (1989), written by his wife and E.J. Kahn III.
Officer McDonald's efforts to support others who overcame disabilities drew national attention. In August 1996, though he was a Democrat, Steven addressed the Republican National Convention in support of Senator Bob Dole's nomination, citing the serious wounds Senator Dole sustained in World War II and had overcome.
On January 11, 2017, Steven McDonald passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was survived by his wife, Patricia Ann "Patti", the Mayor of Malverne, Long Island, and his son, Connor, who followed his father into the NYPD. This legislation, designating the Southern State Parkway as the "Detective Steven McDonald Memorial Highway", is a fitting tribute to a truly inspirational and forgiving hero.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Minimal.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.