S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7098
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 22, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to requiring the
Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and the New York city transit
authority establish a no fare program for the transportation of
certain active duty, uniform police officers
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 14 of section 1266 of the public authorities
law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 2013, is amended and a new
subdivision 14-a is added to read as follows:
14. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or the terms of any
contract, the authority, in consultation with the Long Island Rail Road
AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY, shall establish and
implement a no fare program for transportation on the Long Island Rail
Road AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD for ACTIVE DUTY, UNIFORM
police officers employed by the city of New York, county of Nassau,
Nassau county villages and cities, county of Suffolk, Suffolk county
villages and towns, COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER, WESTCHESTER COUNTY VILLAGES,
CITIES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF PUTNAM, PUTNAM COUNTY VILLAGES AND TOWNS,
COUNTY OF ROCKLAND, ROCKLAND COUNTY VILLAGES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF
ORANGE, ORANGE COUNTY VILLAGES, CITIES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF DUTCHESS,
DUTCHESS COUNTY VILLAGES, CITIES AND TOWNS, the division of state
police, the port authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metro-North
Commuter Railroad Company, THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD, the New York city
housing authority and the New York city transit authority. In establish-
ing such program, which has as its goal increased protection and
improved safety for its commuters, the authority [and], the Long Island
Rail Road AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY shall, among
other things, consider: (a) requiring ACTIVE DUTY, UNIFORM police offi-
cers who ride without cost to register with the Long Island Rail Road OR
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10989-01-1
A. 7098 2
THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY as a condition of riding with-
out cost; (b) requiring such officers to indicate during such registra-
tion process their regular working hours and the Long Island Rail Road
OR THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY trains that such officers
expect to ride; and (c) periodically, AT LEAST BIANNUALLY, re-register-
ing and re-validating such officers. The authority [and], the Long
Island Rail Road AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY shall
also have the power to consider other matters necessary to carry out the
goals and objectives of this section. POLICE OFFICERS MUST BE IN
UNIFORM AND DISPLAY PROPER BADGE OR SHIELD WHILE RECEIVING TRANSPORTA-
TION PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION. THE AUTHORITY, THE LONG ISLAND RAIL
ROAD AND THE METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY SHALL IMPLEMENT ALL
MEASURES REASONABLY NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT ONLY ELIGIBLE ACTIVE DUTY,
UNIFORM POLICE OFFICERS ARE AVAILING THEMSELVES OF THE PROGRAM.
14-A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW OR THE TERMS OF ANY
CONTRACT, THE AUTHORITY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT
AUTHORITY, SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A NO FARE PROGRAM FOR TRANSPOR-
TATION ON NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY SYSTEMS FOR ACTIVE DUTY,
UNIFORM POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF
NASSAU, NASSAU COUNTY VILLAGES AND CITIES, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, SUFFOLK
COUNTY VILLAGES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER, WESTCHESTER COUNTY
VILLAGES, CITIES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF PUTNAM, PUTNAM COUNTY VILLAGES AND
TOWNS, COUNTY OF ROCKLAND, ROCKLAND COUNTY VILLAGES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF
ORANGE, ORANGE COUNTY VILLAGES, CITIES AND TOWNS, COUNTY OF DUTCHESS,
DUTCHESS COUNTY VILLAGES, CITIES AND TOWNS, THE DIVISION OF STATE
POLICE, THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, THE METRO-NORTH
COMMUTER RAILROAD COMPANY, THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD, AND THE NEW YORK
CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY. IN ESTABLISHING SUCH PROGRAM, WHICH HAS AS ITS
GOAL INCREASED PROTECTION AND IMPROVED SAFETY FOR ITS COMMUTERS AND
RIDERS, THE AUTHORITY AND THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY SHALL,
AMONG OTHER THINGS, CONSIDER: (A) REQUIRING SUCH ACTIVE DUTY, UNIFORM
POLICE OFFICERS WHO RIDE WITHOUT COST TO REGISTER WITH THE NEW YORK CITY
TRANSIT AUTHORITY AS A CONDITION OF RIDING WITHOUT COST; (B) REQUIRING
SUCH OFFICERS TO INDICATE DURING SUCH REGISTRATION PROCESS THEIR REGULAR
WORKING HOURS AND THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRAINS AND/OR
BUSES THAT SUCH OFFICERS EXPECT TO RIDE; AND (C) PERIODICALLY, AT LEAST
BIANNUALLY, RE-REGISTERING AND RE-VALIDATING SUCH OFFICERS. THE AUTHORI-
TY AND THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY SHALL ALSO HAVE THE POWER TO
CONSIDER OTHER MATTERS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
OF THIS SUBDIVISION. POLICE OFFICERS MUST BE IN UNIFORM AND DISPLAY
PROPER BADGE OR SHIELD WHEN RECEIVING TRANSPORTATION PURSUANT TO THIS
SUBDIVISION; HOWEVER, THE AUTHORITY MAY WAIVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT
ACTIVE DUTY, UNIFORM POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK BE
IN UNIFORM WHEN RECEIVING SUCH TRANSPORTATION AS REQUIRED BY THIS SUBDI-
VISION. THE AUTHORITY AND THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY SHALL
IMPLEMENT ALL MEASURES REASONABLY NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT ONLY ELIGIBLE
ACTIVE DUTY, UNIFORM POLICE OFFICERS ARE AVAILING THEMSELVES OF THE
PROGRAM.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
have become law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such effective date.