What's happening
This bill expands and clarifies the rights of people with disabilities in New York to access public places, transportation, and to be accompanied by service animals.
Why it matters
Strengthens legal access to public spaces and services. By explicitly stating that people with disabilities have the same rights as others to use streets, sidewalks, public buildings, and transportation, the bill provides clearer legal grounds for challenging barriers and discrimination.
Mandates accessible public transportation options. Local governments must ensure that people with disabilities can access public transit, either through mainstream services or specialized paratransit, and prohibits charging higher fares for standard services—helping to reduce both physical and financial barriers.
Expands and clarifies service animal rights. The bill provides detailed rights for people with various disabilities to be accompanied by trained service dogs (including those in training) in public places, with protections against extra charges and clearer definitions of what qualifies as a service animal.
Balances accessibility with feasibility for providers. It specifies that building or vehicle retrofits beyond existing code requirements are not mandated, aiming to protect against undue burdens on businesses and transit agencies while still advancing accessibility.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Disability Access Rights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 111
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1344
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to the rights of persons with disabilities in public places and places of public accommodation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 47 of the civil rights law is renumbered subdivision 7 and five new subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are added to read as follows:
2. A person with a disability has the same rights as other persons to the full and free use of the streets, highways, sidewalks, walkways, public buildings, public facilities, and other public places.
3. A person with a disability is entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of all common carriers, airplanes, motor vehicles, railroad trains, motor buses, streetcars, subways, boats or any other public conveyances or modes of transportation, restaurants, hotels, lodging places, places of public accommodation, amusement or resort, public entities including schools, and other places to which the general public is invited subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons.
4. Each town, city or county, individually or through transportation district commissions, shall ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the public transportation within its jurisdiction by either (i) use of the same transportation facilities or carriers available to the general public or (ii) provision of paratransit or special transportation services for persons with disabilities or (iii) both. All persons with disabilities in the jurisdiction's service area who, by reason of their disabilities, are unable to use the service for the general public shall be eligible to use such paratransit or special transportation
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06227-01-9
A. 1344 2
service. No fee that exceeds the fee charged to the general public shall be charged a person with a disability for the use of the same transportation facilities or carriers available to the general public. Paratransit or special transportation service for persons with disabilities may charge fees to such persons comparable to the fees charged to the general public for similar service in the jurisdiction service area, taking into account especially the type, length and time of trip. Any variance between special service and regular service fares shall be justifiable in terms of actual differences between the two kinds of service provided.
5. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require retrofitting of any public transit equipment or to require the retrofitting, renovation, or alteration of buildings or places to a degree more stringent than that required by the applicable building code in effect at the time the building permit for such building or place is issued.
6. Every totally or partially blind person shall have the right to be accompanied by a dog, in harness, trained as a guide dog, every deaf or hearing-impaired person shall have the right to be accompanied by a dog trained as a hearing dog on a blaze orange leash, and every mobility-impaired person or person diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum or otherwise disabled person shall have the right to be accompanied by a dog, trained as a service dog, in a harness, backpack, or vest identifying the dog as a trained service dog, in any of the places listed in subdivision three of this section without being required to pay an extra charge for the dog, provided that he shall be liable for any damage done to the premises or facilities by such dog. The provisions of this section shall apply to persons accompanied by a dog that is in training, at least six months of age, and is (i) in harness, provided such person is an experienced trainer of guide dogs or is conducting continuing training of a guide dog; (ii) on a blaze orange leash, provided such person is an experienced trainer of hearing dogs or is conducting continuing training of a hearing dog; (iii) in a harness, backpack, or vest identifying the dog as a trained service dog, provided such person is an experienced trainer of service dogs or is conducting continuing training of a service dog; (iv) wearing a jacket identifying the recognized guide, hearing or service dog organization, provided such person is an experienced trainer of the organization identified on the jacket; or (v) the person is part of a three-unit service dog team and is conducting continuing training of a service dog.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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