What's happening
The Stretch Limousine Safety Act requires stricter inspections, insurance, and safety standards for stretch limousine operators in New York.
Why it matters
Establishes a 10-year retirement age for stretch limousines. , meaning vehicles modified to carry more than ten people must be removed from service a decade after their initial registration—potentially increasing overall fleet safety by phasing out older, riskier vehicles.
Imposes a $2 million minimum insurance requirement per accident. for stretch limousine operators, aiming to ensure better financial protection for passengers and accident victims in the event of catastrophic incidents.
Mandates strict inspection protocols and public transparency. , including felony penalties for operating limousines that fail inspections, required posting of inspection results online, and visible certificates or warnings on vehicle doors—measures designed to increase accountability and inform passenger decisions.
Requires specialized safety training and licensure for stretch limousine drivers. , seeking to ensure that operators are properly educated on the unique challenges and risks of handling these large, modified vehicles, potentially reducing preventable accidents.
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Who cares
Stretch limousine carriers
The bill would require retiring vehicles from passenger service after ten years, carrying at least $2 million in insurance per accident, and correcting failed inspections and obtaining reinspection within ten days.
Stretch limousine drivers
Drivers would need to complete safety training to qualify for licensure and could face a misdemeanor for operating without proof of required insurance.
Stretch limousine passengers
Passengers would gain access to inspection results online and visible vehicle inspection notices, while transporting passengers in a limousine that failed inspection would be a class E felony.
New York State Department of Transportation
The department would post inspection results online, develop safety training rules and inspection notices, and have authority to impound vehicles not reinspected within ten days after a failed inspection.
Headline styles
Make Stretch Limos Safer
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
25 Co-sponsors
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Felix Ortiz
- Walter T. Mosley
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Fred Thiele
- Michael Montesano
- David McDonough
- Richard Gottfried
- Anthony D'Urso
- Sandy Galef
- Robin Schimminger
- Jonathan Jacobson
- Marianne Buttenschon
- Joe DeStefano
- Steven Englebright
- Jake Ashby
- Victor M. Pichardo
- Nader Sayegh
- Charles Fall
- Judy Griffin
- Peter Lawrence
- John K. Mikulin
- Anthony H. Palumbo
- Taylor Darling
- Phil Steck
3 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1974
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 18, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI, JAFFEE, ORTIZ, MOSLEY, STIRPE, THIELE, MONTESANO, McDONOUGH, GOTTFRIED, D'URSO, GALEF, SCHIMMINGER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to enacting the stretch limousine safety act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "stretch limousine safety act".
§ 2. Section 2 of the transportation law is amended by adding a new subdivision 30-a to read as follows:
30-a. "Stretch limousine" means a motor vehicle that has been modified, altered or stretched, with a lengthened automobile chassis and is designed for carrying more than ten persons, including the driver.
§ 3. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 160 to read as follows:
§ 160. Provisions related to stretch limousines. 1. Any carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine shall retire such stretch limousine from transporting passengers ten years from the date such stretch limousine was first registered in any state.
2. a. Any carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine shall maintain insurance coverage in the amount of not less than two million dollars per accident.
b. No person shall operate a stretch limousine for a carrier of passengers without proof of the insurance coverage required by paragraph a of this subdivision.
c. A violation of paragraph a or paragraph b of this subdivision shall be a misdemeanor.
3. a. No carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine shall transport passengers in a stretch limousine which has failed an
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02813-02-9
A. 1974 2
inspection conducted pursuant to section one hundred forty of this chapter. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class E felony.
b. A carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine that has failed an inspection pursuant to section one hundred forty of this chapter, shall within ten days take corrective measures and have the vehicle reinspected by the department. If such carrier of passengers fails to reinspect the vehicle within ten days the commissioner may impound the vehicle. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for the return of any such impounded vehicle to the carrier of passengers.
4. a. Any carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine shall affix on the passenger side front door a certificate evidencing a successful safety inspection that displays the date on which such limousine was last successfully inspected. Such certificate shall be equivalent in size to a New York state license plate and shall be designed by the commissioner.
b. Any carrier of passengers which operates a stretch limousine which has failed a safety inspection shall affix to the passenger side door of such limousine a notice that such limousine is not fit to transport passengers. Such notice shall be equivalent in size to a New York state license plate and shall be designed by the commissioner.
c. Failure to affix such certificate as required by paragraph a of this subdivision or such notice as required by paragraph b of this subdivision shall be a misdemeanor.
5. Every inspection of a stretch limousine conducted pursuant to section one hundred forty of this chapter shall be made publicly available and posted to the department website.
6. Any operator of a stretch limousine shall be required to attend a safety training course for the operation of a stretch limousine and must demonstrate successful completion of said course to be eligible for licensure under state law. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations for said safety training course for the operation of a stretch limousine as defined by this section.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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