What's happening
The bill designates human organ delivery vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles, allowing special privileges when transporting organs or medical personnel for transplants.
Why it matters
Faster organ delivery could save more lives. By granting human organ delivery vehicles emergency vehicle status, the law enables faster transport of organs, tissue, and medical teams, which is crucial since organ viability decreases with time.
Strict oversight and specialized training required. The bill mandates that only vehicles clearly marked and dedicated for organ transport, with drivers who have completed approved emergency and defensive driving training, can operate under these special privileges, aiming to balance speed with public safety.
Limits to prevent misuse. Only vehicles authorized by the Department of Health and operated on behalf of official organ procurement organizations can qualify, reducing the risk of abuse or confusion with non-emergency vehicles.
Broader impact on transplant logistics. By including the transport of both organs and medical personnel, the bill helps address logistical barriers to timely organ recovery and transplantation, potentially increasing successful transplant rates across New York.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Organ Delivery Vehicles Emergency Status
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.353
- 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.
Make Organ Delivery Emergency Vehicles
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5670
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 10, 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, in relation to designating human organ delivery vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 101 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 446 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
§ 101. Authorized emergency vehicle. Every ambulance, police vehicle or bicycle, correction vehicle, fire vehicle, civil defense emergency vehicle, emergency ambulance service vehicle, blood delivery vehicle, human organ delivery vehicle, county emergency medical services vehicle, environmental emergency response vehicle, sanitation patrol vehicle, hazardous materials emergency vehicle and ordnance disposal vehicle of the armed forces of the United States.
§ 2. Section 114-b of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 460 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
§ 114-b. Emergency operation. The operation, or parking, of an authorized emergency vehicle, when such vehicle is engaged in transporting a sick or injured person, transporting prisoners, delivering blood or blood products or transporting human organs, human tissue or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation, in a situation involving an imminent health risk, pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law, or responding to, or working or assisting at the scene of an accident, disaster, police call, alarm of fire, actual or potential release of hazardous materials or other emergency. Emergency operation shall not include returning from such service.
§ 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 117-e to read as follows:
§ 117-e. Human organ delivery vehicle. Any vehicle which is operated, authorized or contracted by or on behalf of an organ procurement organ-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07897-01-9
S. 5670 2
ization, as defined in subdivision five of section four thousand three hundred sixty of the public health law, for the sole purpose of transporting human organs, human tissue, or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation on an emergency basis. The vehicle must be dedicated to serve as and be clearly identified as an organ transport vehicle, and operators must receive written authorization from the department of health prior to operation of a vehicle in such capacity. No human organ delivery vehicle shall be operated as an authorized emergency vehicle engaged in an emergency operation unless the driver of such vehicle has undergone appropriate training, as approved by the department of health, for the operation of authorized emergency vehicles during emergency operations and a defensive driving course. Nothing in this section shall preclude those persons otherwise approved to operate any other authorized emergency vehicle as defined in section one hundred one of this article from operating such vehicle as a human organ delivery vehicle.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth 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, in relation to designating human organ delivery vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles
Purpose
To designate human organ delivery vehicles and their operations as that of an authorized emergency vehicle.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends section 101 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to desig- nate and authorize human organ delivery vehicles as emergency vehicles.
Section 2: Amends section 114-b of the Vehicle and Traffic Law to add transporting human organs or tissue, or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation in a situation involving an imminent health risk to the definition of emergency operation.
Section 3: Adds a new section 117-e to the Vehicle and Traffic Law to define human organ delivery vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles, and to require that drivers of said vehicles have had appropriate train- ing in regards to operating an emergency vehicle. It also requires that any such vehicle is operated by or on behalf of an organ procurement organization, as defined in the Public Health Law.
Section 4: Sets the effective date.
Justification
Organ transplants and the transport of organs are a time sensitive proc- esses. New York State should expand the designation of authorized emer- gency vehicles to include vehicles that are carrying organs for trans- plantation. This change will better serve the citizens of the State who are in need of medical service. By allowing these vehicles to flash lights, they are designating the transport of organs and organ related paraphernalia as an emergency allowing the vehicles to navigate through traffic better, saving money and more importantly lives. Passing this legislation will bring New York in line with other states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.