S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2710
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 23, 2017
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Introduced by M. of A. STECK, CAHILL, FAHY, McDONALD -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the railroad law, in relation to increasing fines for
obstructed farm and highway crossings
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 53-c of the railroad law, as added by chapter 845
of the laws of 1972, is amended to read as follows:
§ 53-c. Obstructing farm and highway crossings. 1. Any officer or
employee of a railroad corporation who shall intentionally OR RECKLESSLY
obstruct, and any owner, officer or employee of a railroad corporation
who shall intentionally OR RECKLESSLY cause to be obstructed any farm or
highway crossing with any locomotive, train or car for a longer period
than five consecutive minutes is guilty of a violation which shall be
punishable by a fine of not more than [one hundred] FIVE THOUSAND
dollars or imprisonment for not more than fifteen days or by both such
fine and imprisonment FOR THE FIRST INSTANCE, A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN FIFTEEN
DAYS OR BY BOTH SUCH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THE SECOND INSTANCE, OR A
FINE OF NOT MORE THAN SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR IMPRISONMENT FOR
NOT MORE THAN FIFTEEN DAYS OR BY BOTH SUCH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THE
THIRD INSTANCE. SUCH FINES SHALL BE BORNE BY THE OWNER OF THE RAILROAD
CORPORATION FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. Notwithstanding the
foregoing provisions of this section or any local ordinance to the
contrary, no owner, officer or employee of a railroad corporation who
obstructs, or causes to be obstructed, any farm or highway crossing
shall be subject to any civil, criminal or other penalty where such
person has no control over the situation causing the obstruction or
where the locomotive, train or car cannot be moved without endangering
the safety of the passengers, the public or freight.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07682-01-7
A. 2710 2
2. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION "HIGHWAY" SHALL MEAN THE ENTIRE WIDTH
BETWEEN THE BOUNDARY LINES OF EVERY WAY PUBLICLY MAINTAINED WHEN ANY
PART THEREOF IS OPEN TO THE USE OF THE PUBLIC FOR PURPOSES OF VEHICULAR
TRAVEL.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.