What's happening
The bill requires transportation providers to give bus drivers paid rest periods, including restroom access, during their shifts.
Why it matters
Addresses bus driver health and safety. by mandating paid rest periods, specifically including time for restroom access, which could reduce fatigue and related accidents.
Applies to both public and private transit providers. , ensuring a broad range of bus drivers—including those at nonprofits and state-contracted services—gain these protections, not just those at government-run agencies.
Allows flexibility for unionized workplaces. by enabling collective bargaining agreements to set different rest period terms, preserving the ability of labor and management to negotiate alternatives that may better fit specific operational needs.
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Who cares
Bus drivers
The bill would require paid restroom breaks of at least ten minutes for every four hours worked or major part thereof in a work period.
Publicly funded transportation providers
Public, private and not-for-profit providers would have to give each bus driver rest periods to use the nearest convenient restroom.
Bus driver unions and employers
The bill would allow employers and employees to establish different rest periods through collective bargaining agreements.
Headline styles
Guarantee Bus Driver Rest Breaks
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4393
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to providing bus drivers with appropriate rest periods
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 "public transit safety act".
§ 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 214-a to read as follows:
§ 214-a. Appropriate rest periods for bus drivers. 1. As used in this section:
a. "Appropriate rest period" means a period of rest of not less than ten minutes for every segment of four hours or major part thereof worked in one work period without deduction for the employee's pay.
b. "Bus" means every motor vehicle having a seating capacity of nine or more passengers in addition to the driver and used for the transportation of persons.
c. "Bus driver" means any person employed by any transit agency, authority or company, public or private, whose operation is authorized by the state or any of its political subdivisions, that drives a bus for hire or profit.
d. "Transportation provider" means any public, private or not-for-profit entity, including any transportation authority, utilizing public funds to provide or contract for public transportation services for the benefit of the general public or specific client groups.
2. a. Every transportation provider shall provide each bus driver an appropriate rest period to utilize the nearest convenient restroom.
b. No provision of this section shall be deemed to prohibit employers and employees from establishing appropriate rest periods which differ from those required by this section pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04964-01-9
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.