What's happening
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to study and report on weight limits for fire vehicles with pneumatic tires.
Why it matters
Potential safety and infrastructure implications. The study could influence how much weight fire vehicles are allowed to carry, which directly impacts road and bridge safety, maintenance costs, and long-term infrastructure planning across New York State.
Balancing emergency response and regulations. Changes to weight limits might allow fire departments to use larger or more fully equipped vehicles, possibly improving emergency response capabilities, but could also introduce new compliance or operational challenges.
Coordination across multiple agencies and jurisdictions. The study requires input from a wide range of state and local agencies, reflecting the complexity and broad impact of changing fire vehicle regulations, especially for cities like New York with dense infrastructure.
Potential precedent for future vehicle regulations. The findings and recommendations could serve as a model for assessing weight limits for other specialized vehicles, influencing future state and possibly national policy on vehicle regulation.
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
Study Fire Truck Weight Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 4
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Substituted by A10198A
- Ordered to third reading cal.1860
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 7829a
- Amend and recommit to transportation
- 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.
Study Fire Truck Weight Limits
Vetoed · Sponsor Christine Pellegrino
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7829--A
IN SENATE
March 1, 2018
Introduced by Sens. BOYLE, CROCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT directing the department of transportation to study the weight limitations for fire vehicles with pneumatic tires
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The department of transportation, in consultation with the thruway authority, the metropolitan transportation authority, the division of state police, local police agencies, local governments including, but not limited to, the city of New York, and any other department, division, board, bureau, commission, agency or public authority of the state or any political subdivision thereof deemed necessary by the commissioner of transportation, shall conduct a study to evaluate weight limitations for fire vehicles with pneumatic tires as set forth in subdivision 17-b of section 385 of the vehicle and traffic law, and make recommendations regarding increasing or eliminating such weight limitations. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of applicable federal laws and regulations, and the effect, if any, of a change in fire vehicle weights on state and local roads and bridges.
§ 2. No later than one year after the effective date of this act, the department of transportation shall submit to the governor and the legislature a report on the weight limitations of fire vehicles operating on state and local roads and bridges, as described in section one of this act.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14855-03-8
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act directing the department of transportation to study the weight limitations for fire vehicles with pneumatic tires
Purpose or general idea of bill
To examine raising or eliminating fire vehicle weight restrictions.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill will require the department of transportation, in consultation with the thruway authority, the metropolitan transportation authority, the division of state police, local police agencies, local governments including, but not limited to, the city of New York, and any other department, division, board, bureau, commission; agency or public authority of the state or any political subdivision thereof deemed necessary by the commissioner of transportation, to conduct a study to evaluate weight limitations for fire vehicles with pneumatic tires and make recommendations regarding increasing or eliminating the weight limitations. The bill would direct that the study include consideration of applicable federal laws and regulations, and the effect, if any, of a change in fire vehicle weights on state and local roads and bridges.
Effects of present law which this bill would alter
Subdivision 17-b of section 385 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law sets weight limits on fire vehicles equipped with pneumatic tires.
Justification
Although section 385 subdivision 17-b provides limits on weights for fire trucks, these heavy fire trucks often exceed the maximum weight under this provision. Currently fire trucks that exceed the weight limit allowed through section 17-b may receive a permit from DOT to legally travel on the State and local highway system.
This legislation would require DOT to evaluate whether the weight restriction should be raised, or eliminated, for fire trucks. It is important to ensure all vehicles traveling using the state and local highway system are traveling at safe and appropriate weights.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
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.