Assembly Bill A5131

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5131

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 10, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. V. LOPEZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Transportation

AN  ACT  to  amend the transportation law, in relation to providing free
  transportation for elderly persons on  certain  public  transportation
  systems and making an appropriation therefor

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 18-b of the transportation law, as
amended by chapter 921 of the laws  of  1983,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1.  Within  the  amounts  made  available therefor by appropriation, a
statewide mass transportation operating  assistance  program  is  hereby
established  for  the  purpose  of  making payments toward the operating
expenses of public transportation systems.   For the  purposes  of  this
section,  the  term  public  transportation system shall mean any public
benefit [corportion] CORPORATION constituting a transportation authority
which provides or contracts for the provision of  (under  joint  support
arrangements)  mass transportation services, or a subsidiary thereof, or
any Indian tribe which provides or any county or city which provides  or
contracts  for  the  provision of (pursuant to section one hundred nine-
teen-r of the general municipal law) mass transportation services or any
person, firm or corporation performing intercity bus  passenger  service
as  defined  in  subdivision three of section fourteen-g of this article
serving two or more counties within the state which  is  under  contract
with  the  commissioner  pursuant  to such section fourteen-g to provide
mass transportation services.  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, NO STATE APPROPRIATION
FOR MASS TRANSPORTATION OPERATING ASSISTANCE SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE AND
PAID TO A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION  SYSTEM  WHICH  DOES  NOT  PROVIDE  FREE
TRANSPORTATION,  WITHOUT TIME RESTRICTIONS, TO PASSENGERS WHO ARE SIXTY-
FIVE YEARS OF AGE OR OVER.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08549-01-9

              

A. 5131                             2

  S 2.  In the event that a public transportation system  is  unable  to
implement  and  effectuate the fare reduction as provided in section one
of this act on or after the effective date of this act, the commissioner
of transportation may grant a reasonable extension or extensions to such
public transportation system in order to comply with such fare reduction
provisions  upon  good cause shown by such public transportation system.
Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, no public  transportation
system  shall  be ineligible for operating assistance during such exten-
sion period.
  S 3. (a) The sum of twenty-four million dollars ($24,000,000),  or  so
much  thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the commis-
sioner of transportation from any moneys in the state  treasury  in  the
general  fund  to the credit of the state purposes account not otherwise
appropriated for services and expenses  of  such  commissioner  for  the
purposes  of  carrying out the provisions of this act. Such sum shall be
payable on the audit and warrant of the state  comptroller  on  vouchers
certified  or  approved by the commissioner of transportation, or his or
her duly designated representative in the manner  provided  by  law.  No
expenditure shall be made from this appropriation until a certificate of
approval  of  availability shall have been issued by the director of the
budget and filed with the state comptroller and a copy  filed  with  the
chair of the senate finance committee and the chair of the assembly ways
and  means  committee. Such certificate may be amended from time to time
by the director of the budget and a copy of each such amendment shall be
filed with the state  comptroller,  the  chair  of  the  senate  finance
committee and the chair of the assembly ways and means committee.
  (b) The commissioner of transportation shall allocate the moneys here-
by appropriated as follows:
  Ten million dollars to public transportation systems in New York city.
  Twelve  million  dollars  to  public  transportation systems providing
interstate bus service.
  Two million dollars to public transportation systems  providing  local
and inner city bus service.
  S  4.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the first of September next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.