What's happening
This bill requires vehicles with wheelchair lifts to have and use safety belts for individuals in wheelchairs during transfers.
Why it matters
Enhances safety for wheelchair users. by mandating the use of safety belts during the transfer process, reducing the risk of falls or injuries when being lifted in or out of vehicles.
Increases accountability for transportation providers. (such as paratransit, school buses, and ambulettes) to ensure they have proper equipment and follow safety protocols for passengers with disabilities.
May require retrofitting of existing vehicles. with wheelchair lifts, potentially impacting costs and operational procedures for transit agencies, private transport companies, and other operators.
Addresses a gap in current law. , signaling greater attention to the rights and safety needs of people with disabilities during transportation, potentially setting a precedent for further accessibility improvements.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Wheelchair Lift Safety Belts
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
590
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 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 wheelchair transfer safety
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 53 to read as follows:
53. Any vehicle that is equipped with a wheelchair lift shall also be equipped with a safety belt that shall be used to secure individuals in wheelchairs while they are being lifted from or into such vehicle.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03587-02-9
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 wheelchair transfer safety
Purpose
Any vehicle that is equipped with a wheelchair lift shall also be equipped with a safety belt that shall be used to secure i ndividuals in wheel chairs while they are being lifted from or into such vehicle.
Summary of provisions
Section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended as defined in the bill.
Justification
Recent fatal accidents involving wheelchair bound individuals being improperly transferred from vehicles without the use of a safety belt have brought attention to the issue of wheelchair transfer safety. Nine- ty-year-old Nancy Deffaa was wheelchair bound. She fell f rom a trans- portation vehicle for wheelchairs after being placed in the open doorway of the vehicle without a safety belt. She fell fr om her wheelchair to the ground breaking bones in both her legs and arms. After two weeks of severe pain Nancy Deffaa died.
Volunteer or municipal ambulances, coaches used to transport those with disabilities, and any motor vehicle intended for livery servi ce should be designed to maximize the safety and mobility of the individuals who depend on those services. If Nancy Deffaa was wearin g a safety belt her injuries, pain, and death may have been prevented. By requiring that any vehicle that is equipped with a wheelcha ir lift also be equipped with a safety belt, we can help prevent accidents like Nancy's from happening to anyone else.
Legislative history
2006: A.11063 Referred to Transportation
2007: A.686 Referred to Transportation
2008: A.686 Referred to Transportation
2011-12: S.215 1 Referred to Transportation
2013-14: S.489 Referred to Transportation
2015-16: 1502 Referred to Transportation
2017-18: S.4751 Referred to Transportation
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
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.