Senate Bill S4568

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4568

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the prohibition of
new or extensions of existing contracts by the state or any
municipality to provide a person with the use of a vehicle on a
twenty-four hour basis


 PURPOSE :
This bill provides that neither the state nor any municipal
subdivision thereof and any department, bureau, board, commission,
authority or any other agency or instrumentality of the state or any
municipal subdivision thereof shall provide or enter into a contract
or agreement to provide any person the use of a vehicle on a
twenty-four hour basis.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section 1 - adds a new section 162-a to the Executive Law to provide
that the state, and any municipal subdivision thereof and any
department, bureau, board, commission, authority or any other agency
or instrumentality of the state or any municipal subdivision thereof
shall provide or enter into a contract or agreement to provide any
person the use of a vehicle on a twenty-four hour basis.

Section 2 - Effective date.
              

 CURRENT LAW :
Currently, twenty-four hour vehicles are provided to employees by
state and local governments across the state.

 JUSTIFICATION :
Twenty-four hour employee use of a vehicle is an extravagance that our
state and local governments can no longer afford. Often, this perk is
justified on the basis that the employee may be called at any time,
but there is no reason why, when most employees are responsible for
getting to work with their own transportation, a select few should get
this special treatment.  Getting to and from work should be a
prerequisite for all employees.  The costs of purchasing or leasing,
maintaining and insuring these vehicles by state and local governments
is enormous. With business and individual taxpayers "tightening their
belts" to survive the current economic downturn, it is both
appropriate and prudent that the state also cut unnecessary expenses.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
Substantial savings to state and local governments.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
April 1, 2010