Do you support this bill?

Assembly Bill A7931

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Exempts operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels from laws which regulate vessels on the navigable waters of the state while responding to emergencies

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

co-Sponsors

2019-A7931 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S3012
Current Committee:
Assembly Transportation
Law Section:
Navigation Law
Laws Affected:
Add §39-b, Nav L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: S584
2011-2012: S922
2013-2014: A7656, S1504
2015-2016: A7087, S387
2017-2018: A7612, S1185
2021-2022: A2577, S988
2023-2024: A9749, S4026
2025-2026: A4658, S5400

2019-A7931 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Exempts operators of law enforcement and fire department vessels from laws which regulate vessels on the navigable waters of the state while such operators are in the course of responding to emergencies.

2019-A7931 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7931
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 28, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. THIELE, MONTESANO -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to  amend  the  navigation  law,  in  relation  to  providing  an
   exemption  from certain laws for operators of law enforcement and fire
   department vessels responding to emergencies on the  navigable  waters
   of the state

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The navigation law is amended by adding a new section  39-b
 to read as follows:
   §  39-B.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT VESSELS. 1. THE OPERATOR
 OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT  VESSEL,  WHEN  INVOLVED  IN  AN
 EMERGENCY  OPERATION  ON THE NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE STATE, MAY EXERCISE
 THE PRIVILEGES SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, BUT SUBJECT
 TO THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN  SUBDIVISIONS  THREE  AND  FOUR  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
   2.  THE  OPERATOR  OF  A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT VESSEL MAY
 DISREGARD ANY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION OF THIS STATE OR ANY LOCAL LAW  OR
 ORDINANCE  OF  A  MUNICIPALITY  OF  THIS STATE GOVERNING THE MOVEMENT OR
 TURNING OF VESSELS UPON SUCH NAVIGABLE WATERS.
   3. THE PRIVILEGES GRANTED TO THE OPERATOR OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE
 DEPARTMENT VESSEL PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY ONLY WHEN AUDIBLE
 SIGNALS ARE SOUNDED FROM ANY SUCH VESSEL WHILE IN MOTION BY BELL,  HORN,
 SIREN,  ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR EXHAUST WHISTLE AS MAY BE REASONABLY NECES-
 SARY, AND WHEN THE VESSEL IS EQUIPPED WITH AT LEAST ONE LIGHTED LAMP  SO
 THAT  FROM  ANY  DIRECTION,  UNDER  NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS FROM A
 DISTANCE OF FIVE HUNDRED FEET FROM SUCH VESSEL, AT LEAST ONE BLUE OR RED
 LIGHT WILL BE DISPLAYED AND VISIBLE.
   4. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT RELIEVE THE OPERATOR OF  A
 LAW  ENFORCEMENT OR FIRE DEPARTMENT VESSEL FROM THE DUTY TO OPERATE SUCH
 VESSEL WITH DUE REGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL  PERSONS,  NOR  SHALL  SUCH
 PROVISIONS  PROTECT  THE  OPERATOR  FROM  THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS OR HER
 RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.