What's happening
This bill freezes the salaries of MTA executives if service disruptions or delays increase, with exceptions and annual reporting requirements.
Why it matters
Ties executive pay to performance. By freezing salaries when service disruptions or delays increase, the bill creates a direct financial incentive for MTA executives to prioritize operational reliability and service quality for riders.
Focuses accountability. The bill exempts executives without direct control over service delivery and allows waivers for disruptions clearly outside executive or MTA control, aiming to target only those with actual influence over service.
Public transparency and pressure. The annual reporting requirement ensures the public is informed about both service levels and which executives are held accountable, potentially increasing pressure for improvement and fostering trust.
Protects union agreements. By safeguarding collective bargaining agreements, the bill ensures that frontline workers’ pay and contracts aren’t inadvertently affected, focusing the impact solely on management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Freeze MTA Executive Pay
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
272
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to freezing the salary of the executives in the metropolitan transportation authority
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 "MTA Executive Pay Freeze Act".
§ 2. Legislative intent. The purpose of this act is to ensure accountability of executives in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for service disruptions or delays that occur on the MTA's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems.
§ 3. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 1266-n to read as follows:
§ 1266-n. Pay freeze of executives. 1. The pay of all executives in the authority shall be frozen for each year in which there is an increase in service disruptions or delays on the authority's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems. The pay freeze shall continue until the MTA's service disruptions and delays return to their previous level or are reduced.
2. The pay freeze shall not apply to any executive who is not responsible for the authority's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems or who does not have direct control over service delivery. The pay freeze may also be waived if the executive demonstrates that the service disruptions or delays were beyond their control or were caused by factors outside of the authority's control.
3. The authority shall report annually to the public on the number of service disruptions or delays on the MTA's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems, and the actions taken by the MTA to address such service
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00885-01-5
disruptions. Such report shall also include information on any executive whose pay was frozen under this section.
4. Any executive who receives pay in violation of this section shall be subject to penalties and fines as determined by the authority.
5. The authority shall be responsible for the enforcement of this section, and may adopt rules and regulations as necessary to carry out its provisions.
§ 4. Hold harmless provision for union contracts. Nothing in this act shall be construed to modify, impair, or supersede any collective bargaining agreement between the MTA and any union representing MTA employees. In the event that any provision of this act conflicts with a collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement shall prevail.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to freezing the salary of the executives in the metropolitan transportation authority
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to improve the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's services.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. provides a title for the act "MTA Executive Pay Freeze"
Section 2. is the legislative intent
Section 3. amends the public authorities law by adding a new section 1266-m to provide a pay freeze for executives of the MTA in year s when there is an increase in service disruptions or delays. This section further provides an exclusion for executives who are not responsible for the authority's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems, or who do not have direct control over service delivery system s. Additionally, the MTA shall be required to report annually on service disruptions or delays and actions taken to address these incidents. The report shall also include information on any executive whose pay was frozen. Violations of this section shall be subject to penalties and fines determined by the authority.
Section 4. is the enacting clause
Justification
The MTA Executive Pay Freeze Act is a crucial piece of legislation aimed at ensuring accountability for executives in the Metropolitan Transpor- tation Authority (MTA) for service disruptions or delays that occur on the MTA's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems.
The MTA is responsible for providing public transportation services to millions of people in the New York metropolitan area, and disruptions or delays to these services can have a significant impact on the daily lives of commuters. In recent years, the MTA has experienced an increase in service disruptions and delays, causing frustration and inconvenience to riders and leading to a decrease in public trust in the MTA.
This bill proposes a pay freeze for all executives in the MTA for each year in which there is an increase in service disruptions or delays on the MTA's subway, bus, and commuter rail systems. This is intended to ensure that executives are held accountable for the quality of service provided by. the MTA, and to incentivize them to take action to address any issues that may arise.
By freezing the pay of executives in the MTA, this bill sends a clear message that service disruptions and delays are unacceptable, and that executives must take responsibility for addressing these issues. The pay freeze will serve as a powerful tool to hold executives accountable for the quality of service provided by the MTA, and will encourage them to work towards improving the reliability and efficiency of the MTA's public transportation services.
In addition, this bill includes exceptions for executives who are not responsible for the MTA's subway, bus, and commuter rail system s or who do not have direct control over service delivery. The pay freeze may also be waived if the executive demonstrates that the service disruptions or delays were beyond their control or were caused by factors outside of the MTA's control.
Overall, the MTA Executive Pay Freeze Act is a necessary measure to ensure that executives in the MTA are held accountable for the quality of service provided to millions of commuters in the New York metropol- itan area. It is important to send a strong message that service disruptions and delays are unacceptable, and that executives must take responsibility for addressing these issues.
Fiscal implications
None.
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.