NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6245A

Senate Bill S6245A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to the amount of the indemnity bond or insurance required by common carrier ambulettes and paratransit vehicles

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to transportation
Apr 30, 2021	print number 6245a
Apr 30, 2021	amend (t) and recommit to transportation
Apr 19, 2021	referred to transportation

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2021-S6245 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2153
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §370, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8335, A10734
2023-2024: S409

2021-S6245 - Summary

Relates to the minimum required amount of the indemnity bond or insurance policy required by certain common carrier ambulettes and paratransit vehicles.

2021-S6245 - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6245

SPONSOR: THOMAS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to indemnity
bonds or insurance policies for common carrier ambulettes, paratransit
vehicles, and commuter vans

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation will provide relief from unaffordable insurance premi-
ums for ambulettes and commuter vans.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section I: Amends the vehicle and traffic law to require ambulettes,
paratransit vehicles, and commuter vans to have a combined single limit
policy of at least three hundred thousand dollars.

Section 2: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ambulettes, paratransit vehicles and commuter vans all serve important
roles for New Yorkers. Ambulettes provide an alternative option for
patients who require transportation to medical facilities but do not
need treatment along the way. People depend on this service to get to
chemotherapy treatments, dialysis, and other crucial medical treatments.
Further, commuter vans provide a necessary and affordable service to
people who live in transportation deserts. Under current law, these
entities are grouped with other for-hire-vehicles, like limos, in
relation to their required minimum insurance policies. Due to this clas-
sification, ambulettes and commuter vans are now faced with unaffordable
insurance premiums even though they serve very different purposes and
have different risk characteristics from other for-hire-vehicle
services.

Under Medicaid, recipients who require medical services but do not have
a means of travel to obtain the necessary care, may be provided with
approved transportation. Approved carriers are then reimbursed at a set
rate, which does not reflect the cost incurred by the increased insur-
ance premiums. This sudden increase has caused numerous companies to go
out of business since they can no longer afford to operate. To make sure
people still have access to these services, the state needs to adjust
the required minimum insurance policies. This legislation therefore
modifies the current minimum combined single limit policies to ensure
the statutory amount reflects the services ambulettes, paratransit vehi-
cles, and commuter vans provide.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020: S.8335 (Kaminsky) / A.10734 (Jean-Pierre): Referred to Transporta-
tion

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6245 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6245
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in  relation  to  indemnity
   bonds or insurance policies for common carrier ambulettes, paratransit
   vehicles, and commuter vans

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The second  undesignated  paragraph  of  subdivision  1  of
 section 370 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 408 of
 the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   For damages for and incident to death or injuries to persons and inju-
 ry to or destruction of property: For each motorcycle and for each motor
 vehicle  engaged  in the business of carrying or transporting passengers
 for hire, having a seating capacity of not more than seven passengers, a
 bond or insurance policy with a minimum liability of  twenty-five  thou-
 sand dollars and a maximum liability of fifty thousand dollars for bodi-
 ly injury, and a minimum liability of fifty thousand dollars and a maxi-
 mum  liability  of  one hundred thousand dollars for death and a minimum
 liability of ten thousand dollars for injury to or destruction of  prop-
 erty;  for  each  motor  vehicle  engaged in the business of carrying or
 transporting passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of not  less
 than eight passengers, a bond or insurance policy with a combined single
 limit  of  at least one million five hundred thousand dollars for bodily
 injury or death to one or more persons, and  because  of  injury  to  or
 destruction  of property in any one accident; PROVIDED, FURTHER THAT FOR
 COMMON CARRIER AMBULETTES, PARATRANSIT VEHICLES, AND COMMUTER VANS OPER-
 ATING PURSUANT TO OPERATING AUTHORITY  ISSUED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 TRANSPORTATION  THAT  ARE  ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF CARRYING OR TRANS-
 PORTING PASSENGERS FOR HIRE, HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF NOT LESS  THAN
 EIGHT  PASSENGERS,  A  BOND  OR  INSURANCE POLICY WITH A COMBINED SINGLE
 LIMIT OF AT LEAST THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR  BODILY  INJURY  OR
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD04942-01-1

 S. 6245                             2
 
 DEATH TO ONE OR MORE PERSONS, AND BECAUSE OF INJURY TO OR DESTRUCTION OF
 PROPERTY  IN  ANY  ONE ACCIDENT. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, THE
 TERM "COMMUTER VAN" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS  DEFINED
 IN SECTION 19-502 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND
 THE TERM "PASSENGER" SHALL MEAN ANY OCCUPANT OF A VEHICLE OTHER THAN THE
 DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

co-Sponsors

2021-S6245A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2153
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §370, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S8335, A10734
2023-2024: S409

2021-S6245A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the minimum required amount of the indemnity bond or insurance policy required by certain common carrier ambulettes and paratransit vehicles.

2021-S6245A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6245A

SPONSOR: THOMAS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to indemnity
bonds or insurance policies for common carrier ambulates and paratransit
vehicles

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation will provide relief from unaffordable insurance premi-
ums for ambulettes and paratransit vehicles

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section I: Amends the vehicle and traffic law to require ambulette and
paratransit vehicles to have a combined single limit policy of at least
five hundred thousand dollars.

Section 2: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Ambulettes and paratransit vehicles all serve important roles for New
Yorkers. Ambulettes provide an alternative option for patients who
require transportation to medical facilities but do not need treatment
along the way. People depend on this service to get to chemotherapy
treatments, dialysis, and other crucial medical treatments. Under
current law, these entities are grouped with other for-hire-vehicles,
like limos, in relation to their required minimum insurance policies.
Due to this classification, ambulettes and paratransit vehicles are now
faced with unaffordable insurance premiums even though they serve very
different purposes and have different risk characteristics from other
for-hire-vehicle services.

Under Medicaid, recipients who require medical services but do not have
a means of travel to obtain the necessary care, may be provided with
approved transportation. Approved carriers are then reimbursed at a set
rate, which does not reflect the cost incurred by the increased insur-
ance premiums. This sudden increase has caused numerous companies to go
out of business since they can no longer afford to operate. To make sure
people still have access to these services, the state needs to adjust
the required minimum insurance policies. This legislation therefore
modifies the current minimum combined single limit policies to ensure
the statutory amount reflects the services ambulettes and paratransit
vehicles provide.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2020: S.8335 (Kaminsky) / A.10734 (Jean-Pierre): Referred to Transporta-
tion

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6245A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6245--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 19, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation --  commit-
   tee  discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in  relation  to  indemnity
   bonds or insurance policies for common carrier ambulates and paratran-
   sit vehicles
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The second  undesignated  paragraph  of  subdivision  1  of
 section  370  of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 1 of
 part ZZ of chapter 59 of the  laws  of  2021,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   For damages for and incident to death or injuries to persons and inju-
 ry to or destruction of property: For each motorcycle and for each motor
 vehicle  engaged  in the business of carrying or transporting passengers
 for hire, having a seating capacity of not more than seven passengers, a
 bond or insurance policy with a minimum liability of  twenty-five  thou-
 sand dollars and a maximum liability of fifty thousand dollars for bodi-
 ly injury, and a minimum liability of fifty thousand dollars and a maxi-
 mum  liability  of  one hundred thousand dollars for death and a minimum
 liability of ten thousand dollars for injury to or destruction of  prop-
 erty;  for  each  motor  vehicle  engaged in the business of carrying or
 transporting passengers for hire, having a seating capacity of not  less
 than eight passengers, a bond or insurance policy with a combined single
 limit  of  at least one million five hundred thousand dollars for bodily
 injury or death to one or more persons, and  because  of  injury  to  or
 destruction  of property in any one accident; provided, further that for
 COMMON CARRIER AMBULETTES, PARATRANSIT VEHICLES, AND commuter vans  that
 are  engaged  in the business of carrying or transporting passengers for
 hire, having a seating capacity of not less  than  eight  passengers,  a

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

                                                            LBD04942-02-1

 S. 6245--A                          2
 
 bond  or  insurance policy with a combined single limit of at least five
 hundred thousand dollars for bodily injury  or  death  to  one  or  more
 persons,  and because of injury to or destruction of property in any one
 accident.  For  the  purposes of this paragraph, the term "commuter van"
 shall have the same meaning as such term is defined in section 19-502 of
 the administrative code of the city of New York.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S6245A

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Sponsored By

Kevin Thomas