What's happening
This bill creates new safety, insurance, inspection, and training requirements for stretch limousine operators in New York State.
Why it matters
Imposes a strict 10-year retirement rule for stretch limousines. , effectively phasing out older, potentially less safe vehicles and requiring operators to upgrade their fleets more regularly, which could directly impact the availability and cost of limousine services.
Mandates high insurance coverage ($2 million per accident) and criminalizes lack of compliance. , aiming to ensure victims have meaningful recourse in the event of a crash, while also raising the financial bar for entry and continued operation in the limousine business.
Requires clear, visible inspection certificates (or warnings) on limousines and makes inspection results public online. , increasing transparency for customers and putting public pressure on operators to maintain vehicles that meet safety standards.
Establishes mandatory safety training for all stretch limousine drivers as a licensing requirement. , addressing not just the vehicles but also operator competence, which could reduce driver-error accidents and raise the professionalism of the industry.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Limo Safety Standards
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
309
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. FELDER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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.
LBD02813-01-9
S. 309 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, provided, however, that 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to enacting the stretch limousine safety act
Purpose
To create a more comprehensive and thorough approach to the inspection and licensure of stretch limousines
Summary of provisions
Section 1 sets forth the title "stretch limousine safety act"
Section 2 amends section 2 of the transportation law by the definition of Stretch limousine
Section 3 amends the transportation law by adding a new section 160 that
1. Would require stretch limousines to be retired from service after 10 years.
2. Would require stretch limousines to have a minimum liability insur- ance coverage of $2 million. Failure to comply would result in a misde- meanor for both the driver and owner.
3. If the vehicle fails a DOT safety inspection, it is prohibited from transporting passengers. If a vehicle fails inspection, then the owner has 10 days to have the problems fixed and reinspected. After 10 days, the commissioner can impound the vehicle.
4. All Stretch Limousines are required to display on a passenger door of the vehicle, a license plate sized sticker that clearly states when their last successful vehicle inspection took place. If a Stretch Limou- sine fails a safety inspection, then the above sticker shall be removed and replaced by a sticker of the same size which clearly indicates that the Stretch Limousine cannot transport passengers.
5. DOT will report the results of every inspection on their website.
6. New rules and training for the operation of a stretch limousine.
Justification
On October 6, 2018, a stretch limousine crashed, killing 20 people in Schoharie, NY. It was the nation's deadliest transportation accident since 2009. In all, 17 passengers, the driver and 2 pedestrians were killed. Since this tragic accident, it has become obvious from news reports that stretch limousines in New York State operate in a regulato- ry limbo. Stretch limousine are not defined anywhere in State Law and seem to be covered by a patchwork of regulations. Stretch limousines are regular cars or SW's which have been modified to have their bodies extended in an effort to add additional seating. The process used to lengthen a vehicle can threaten the structural integrity and safety features of a vehicle. Stretch limousines are cut up and put back together with parts that were not originally designed for that v4h4.01:e4 In addition, the modifications add several thousand pounds of new fra'inework, plastic, and metal to the vehicle. This causes signif- icant safety concerns for stretch limousines if brakes and other equip- ment are not improved along with the modifications.
While many limousine operators take the safety of their passengers and drivers seriously, there seems to be a certain population of operators that does not. In an effort to cut corners, they put their passengers and drivers at risk.
This bill would define stretch limousines for the first time in New York State Law. In addition, it creates a more comprehensive approach to the inspection and licensure of these vehicles in order to increase safety.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
None to State
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediately, the addi- tion, 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.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.