What's happening
This bill requires all motor vehicles in New York, including new, used, and existing cars, to be equipped with ignition interlock devices by the end of 2023.
Why it matters
This bill would make New York the first state to require ignition interlock devices on all cars, not just those owned by people convicted of drunk driving, potentially setting a new national precedent for DUI prevention.
The law would apply retroactively, requiring not only all new and used vehicles sold after specified dates but also every currently registered vehicle to have the device installed by the end of 2023, affecting millions of drivers and creating a major logistical and financial undertaking.
By mandating these devices on all vehicles, the bill aims to drastically reduce alcohol-impaired driving incidents, but it could also raise privacy, cost, and accessibility concerns for everyday drivers who have not committed any driving offenses.
The legislation would require the New York Department of Health to certify approved device models, creating a new regulatory process and possible business opportunities for device manufacturers and installers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Ignition Interlocks Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2741
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, DenDEKKER, WEPRIN, THIELE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to mandating ignition interlock devices
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 1198-b to read as follows:
§ 1198-b. Installation of ignition interlock devices. 1. Every motor vehicle, as defined in section one hundred twenty-five of this chapter, manufactured for use in this state on and after December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-two, and every second hand motor vehicle sold in this state on and after December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-three which is capable of having an ignition interlock device installed, shall be equipped with a functional ignition interlock device of a type and specification as certified by the commissioner of health pursuant to subdivision six of section eleven hundred ninety-eight of this article.
2. Ignition interlocking devices for existing motor vehicles registered in the state. Any motor vehicle as defined in section one hundred twenty-five of this chapter, shall by December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-three be retrofitted so that all such vehicles are equipped with an ignition interlocking device in accordance with the provisions of this section.
3. For the purposes of this section, the term "ignition interlocking device" shall mean any blood alcohol concentration equivalence measuring device which connects to a motor vehicle ignition system and prevents a motor vehicle from being started without first determining through an essential deep lung breath sample that the operator's equivalent breath alcohol level does not exceed the calibrated setting on such device.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07263-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.