What's happening
This bill requires most new motor vehicles under 10,000 pounds in New York to have rear seat detection systems to warn if an occupant is left behind.
Why it matters
Addresses child and pet safety. By mandating rear seat detection in new passenger vehicles, the law aims to reduce tragic incidents where children or vulnerable passengers are accidentally left behind in hot cars, which can lead to injury or death.
Impacts vehicle manufacturers and buyers. The requirement will likely influence car design, manufacturing costs, and potentially the price of new vehicles sold in New York, affecting both automakers and consumers considering new vehicle purchases.
Aligns with or is limited by federal law. The bill includes a safeguard clause—if federal authorities determine the law conflicts with national regulations, it will be automatically repealed, highlighting the interplay between state innovation and federal oversight in vehicle safety standards.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Rear Seat Alerts
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.501
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to rules
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.
Require Rear Seat Alert
In Assembly Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Ellen C. Jaffee
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6642
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
August 2, 2019
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the required equipment of certain motor vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 10 of section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows:
g. It shall be unlawful to operate on any public highway in this state a motor vehicle registered in this state with a gross vehicle weight of ten thousand pounds or less, manufactured or assembled after July first, two thousand twenty-one unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a functioning rear seat detection system that can detect the presence of an occupant in a rear designated seating position after the vehicle engine or motor is deactivated and provide a warning. For the purposes of this paragraph, "motor vehicle" shall not include a motorcycle, a commercial motor vehicle as defined in section two of the transportation law, or combination of a commercial motor vehicle and trailer.
§ 2. This act shall be deemed repealed if any federal agency or any court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that this act would render New York state out of compliance with federal law or regulation.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided that the commissioner of motor vehicles shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of the provisions of section two of this act in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law. 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 effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13572-03-9
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 the required equipment of certain motor vehicles
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
This legislation will require passenger motor vehicles is equipped with a functioning system that can detect the presence of an occupant in a rear designated seating position after the vehicle engine or motor is deactivated and provide a warning.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS::
Section 1. Subdivision 10 of section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows:
g. It shall be unlawful to operate on any public highway in this state a motor vehicle registered in this state with a gross vehicle weight of ten thousand pounds or less, manufactured or assembled after July first, two thousand twenty-one unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a functioning system that can detect the presence of an occupant in a rear designated seating position after the vehicle engine or motor is deacti- vated and provide a warning.
Section 2. Repealer. If any federal agency or any court of competent jurisdiction finally determines that this act would New York state out of compliance with federal law or regulation.
Section 3. Effective Date
Justification
Fifty-two children died after being left in hot cars in 2018. That's the highest total of vehicular heatstroke deaths in the last 21 years, according to nobtstrke.org. So far this year, there have been 24 deaths, according to the site. Heatstroke in cars is the leading cause of non- crash vehicle-related deaths of children under the age of 14 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
These statistics do not have to increase and can hopefully be eliminated in the future. The fact is that technology currently exists and is available on some vehicles sold in the U.S. already to help prevent these instances of fatal heatstroke. Some automobile manufacturers are utilizing technology that ranges from rear door logic, pressure monitors and/or motion detection technology.
The federal government is pondering legislation that would study the technology for a 2-year period before directing automobile manufacturers to make available the technology at some point in the future after the study is completed. However, because the technology is already being implemented, there is no need to wait to require it in all passenger vehicles to save lives now.
This legislation shall be known as the Heatstroke Elimination Awareness Technology (HEAT) Act.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:: New Legislation.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:: a
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect one hundred eighty days after it shall have become a law; provided that the commissioner of motor vehicles shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of the provisions of section two of this act in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective database of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law. 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 effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.