What's happening
This bill requires ride service companies to accommodate passengers with disabilities, prohibits related surcharges, and creates a fund to support accessible on-demand vehicles.
Why it matters
Strengthens enforcement and oversight. by requiring ride service companies to maintain documented policies ensuring accessibility for passengers with disabilities, and makes those companies explicitly responsible for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Eliminates financial barriers. for passengers with disabilities and those using service animals by prohibiting any extra fees or charges related to their accommodation, ensuring equal access without added costs.
Improves transparency and user experience. by mandating that ride service apps and other booking methods allow users to indicate their specific accommodation needs, making it easier for passengers with disabilities to request accessible rides.
Creates dedicated funding. for accessibility improvements through a new per-trip surcharge, with proceeds used to incentivize and support the expansion of accessible on-demand vehicles, potentially increasing the availability of such services across the state.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Disability-Friendly Rides
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Disability Ride Access
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5404
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 30, 2019
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the administrative code of the city of New York and the state finance law, in relation to transportation accommodation for passengers with disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 3 of section 1696 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section 2 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
(d) A TNC shall implement and maintain a policy and an oversight process of providing accessibility to passengers or potential passengers with a disability, including any accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended and accommodation of service animals as such term is defined in section one hundred twentythree-b of the agriculture and markets law and shall to the extent practicable adopt findings established by the New York state TNC accessibility task force adopted pursuant to section twenty-one of [the] part AAA of chapter fifty-nine of the laws of two thousand seventeen [that added this section]. A TNC shall implement and maintain a documented policy and oversight process for providing such accessibility. A TNC shall not impose additional charges for providing services to persons with physical disabilities because of those disabilities, nor shall it impose additional charge for providing services to persons using service animals, and it shall make available on the mobile applications of such TNC, or in any other method provided by the TNC for requesting service, the ability to indicate accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including accommodation of service animals.
§ 2. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 19-503.2 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06190-01-9
S. 5404 2
§ 19-503.2 Passengers with disabilities. a. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations which ensure for-hire vehicle services provide any accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
b. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations which ensure every for-hire vehicle service shall make available on the mobile application of such service or in any other method provided by the for-hire vehicle service for requesting service, the ability to indicate accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including accommodation of service animals.
§ 3. Section 1693 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
14. A TNC shall collect twenty cents per trip provided by such TNC and deposit the same in the on-demand vehicle accessibility fund established pursuant to section ninety-b of the state finance law.
§ 4. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 90-b to read as follows:
§ 90-b. On-demand vehicle accessibility fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the department of transportation an account of the miscellaneous special fund to be known as the on-demand vehicle accessibility fund.
2. The comptroller is authorized and directed to receive for deposit to the credit of the on-demand vehicle accessibility fund designated for such deposit by law including those derived from the surcharge authorized by subdivision fourteen of section sixteen hundred ninety-three of the vehicle and traffic law.
3. Moneys of this account, following appropriation by the legislature, shall be available to support the state department of transportation for expenses of providing incentives and investments to ensure accessible on-demand vehicle service for those with disabilities, including those with service animals.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the administrative code of the city of New York and the state finance law, in relation to transportation accommodation for passengers with disabil- ities
Purpose or general idea
This legislation requires a transportation network company (TNC), some- times known as a mobility service provider (MSP), to implement and main- tain a policy and oversight process of providing accessibility to passengers or potential passengers with a disability, including any accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 3 of section 1696 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section 2 of part AAA of chapter 59 of the laws of 2017, (d) A transportation network company (TNC) shall implement and maintain a policy and oversight process of providing accessibility to passengers or potential passengers with a disability, including any accommodation requires by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Read the full memo (821 words)
As amended and accommodation of service animals as such term is defined in section one hundred twenty three-b of the agriculture and markets law and shall to the extent practicable adopt finding established by the New York State TNC accessibility task force adopted pursuant to section twenty-one of part AAA of chapter fifty-nine of the laws of two thousand seventeen.
A TNC shall implement and maintain a documented policy and oversight process for providing such accessibility. A TNC shall not impose addi- tional charges for providing services to persons with physical disabili- ties because of those disabilities and shall make available on the mobile application of such TNC the ability to indicate accommodation as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including accom- modation of service animals.
Section 2. Administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding new section 19-503.2 passengers with disabilities. The commission shall promulgate rules and regulations which ensure for-hire vehicles services provide any accommodations required by the Americans with Disa- bilities Act of 1990. The commission shall promulgate rules and regu- lation which ensures every for-hire vehicle service shall make available on the mobile application of such service the ability to indicate accom- modations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including accommodation of service animals.
Section 3. Section 1693 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 14- A TNC shall collect twenty cents per trip provided by such TNC and deposit the same in the On-demand Vehicle Accessibility Fund established pursuant to section ninety-b of the state finance law.
Section 4. On-demand Vehicle Accessibility Fund is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the department of trans-
portation an account of the miscellaneous special fund to be known at the On-demand Vehicle Accessibility fund.
The comptroller is authorized and directed to receive for deposit to the credit of the on-demand vehicle accessibility fund designated for such deposit by law including those derived from the surcharge authorized by subdivision fourteen of section sixteen hundred ninety-three of the vehicle and traffic law.
Moneys of this account, following appropriation by the legislature, shall be available to support the state department of transportation for expensed of providing incentives and investments to ensure accessible on-demand vehicle service for those with disabilities, including those with service animals.
Section 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day it shall have become law.
Justification
While TNCs have made important improvements and provided access to many in the disabled community, especially for Deaf and Blind individuals, what is currently lacking is the availability for wheelchair users, especially wheelchair users whose wheelchairs cannot break down and fold into a trunk. This is a tough problem to solve, as TNC services are provided by individuals using their personal vehicle and very few indi- viduals own wheelchair accessible vehicles.
We also have seen elements of discrimination towards persons with disa- bilities who rely on service animals having considerable trouble obtain- ing a ride-share vehicle. This legislation emphasizes that TNC's include in their hale app and any other means of haling a vehicle a policy that will eliminate this discrimination towards service animals.
Although it is estimated that the ride share industry is a $62 billion dollar business, and should be required to study and implement universal accessibility for persons with disabilities and follow the guidance of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 including accommodation for animals.
This legislation is set to establish the On-demand Vehicle Accessibility Fund that implements a .20 cent surcharge on ride-share service to assist and support the state department of transportation for expenses of providing incentives and investments to ensure accessible on-demand vehicle service for those with disabilities, including service animals.
Legislative history
2018: Referred to Transportation
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.