S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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8145
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
October 13, 2023
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Introduced by M. of A. PIROZZOLO -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to enacting the
"responsible implementation of e-bike regulations for safe cycling
(RIDERS) act"; and to repeal certain provisions of the vehicle and
traffic law, relating to motor-assisted vehicles
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act may be known and shall be cited as
the "responsible implementation of e-bike regulations for safe cycling
(RIDERS) act."
§ 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding two new sections
114-f and 114-g to read as follows:
§ 114-F. ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD. EVERY DEVICE WEIGHING LESS THAN ONE
HUNDRED POUNDS THAT:
(A) MAY HAVE HANDLEBARS, A FLOORBOARD DESIGNED TO BE STOOD UPON BY THE
OPERATOR THAT IS NO MORE THAN SIXTY INCHES LONG AND EIGHTEEN INCHES
WIDE, AND AN ELECTRIC MOTOR;
(B) CAN BE POWERED BY AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND/OR HUMAN POWER;
(C) IS DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT ONLY ONE PERSON AT A TIME; AND
(D) HAS A MAXIMUM SPEED OF NO MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE MILES PER HOUR ON
A PAVED LEVEL SURFACE WHEN POWERED SOLELY BY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR.
§ 114-G. ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICE. SUCH DEVICE SHALL INCLUDE,
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, AN ELECTRIC BICYCLE WITH ASSIST AS DEFINED IN
SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWO-C OF THIS ARTICLE, ELECTRIC SCOOTER AS DEFINED
IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN-E OF THIS ARTICLE AND AN ELECTRIC SKATE-
BOARD AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN-F OF THIS ARTICLE.
§ 3. Subdivision (c) of section 102-c of the vehicle and traffic law,
as added by section 1 of part XX of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is
amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13340-02-3
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(c) "Class three bicycle with electric assist." [Solely within a city
having a population of one million or more, a] A bicycle with electric
assist having an electric motor that may be used exclusively to propel
such bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when such
bicycle reaches a speed of twenty-five miles per hour.
§ 4. Section 2268 of the vehicle and traffic law is REPEALED.
§ 5. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new article
15-B to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15-B
REGISTRATION OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES
SECTION 414-A. REGISTRATION OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES.
§ 414-A. REGISTRATION OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES. 1. NO
ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICE SHALL BE OPERATED AND DRIVEN UPON
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS OF THIS STATE WITHOUT FIRST BEING REGISTERED WITH THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN
THIS CHAPTER. THE COMMISSIONER IS DIRECTED TO CREATE A NEW REGISTRATION
CATEGORY AND PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES. SUCH
REGISTRATION CATEGORY SHALL APPLY TO ALL TYPES OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL
MOBILITY DEVICES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, BICYCLES WITH ELECTRIC
ASSIST, ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, AND ELECTRIC SKATEBOARDS PROVIDED THAT SUCH
DEVICES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MEET OR EXCEED A SPEED OF TWENTY MILES PER
HOUR WHILE USING MOTORIZED POWER. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ALSO HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO ADD ADDITIONAL TYPES OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES
TO THE LIST OF AUTHORIZED DEVICES REQUIRED TO BE REGISTERED, INSURED,
AND ONLY OPERATED BY A LICENSED OPERATOR.
2. THE COMMISSIONER IS DIRECTED TO COORDINATE WITH ELECTRIC PERSONAL
MOBILITY DEVICE MANUFACTURERS TO DEVELOP A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER TO BE
PERMANENTLY AFFIXED IN PLAIN VIEW ON SUCH DEVICES BEFORE PURCHASE. SUCH
DEVICES PURCHASED OR MANUFACTURED BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SECTION SHALL NOT REQUIRE A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER. OWNERS OF SUCH DEVICES
SHALL BE LIABLE UNDER THE SPECIFIC PROVISIONS OF THIS LAW, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LICENSURE AND REGISTRATION OF SUCH DEVICES.
3. THE VIOLATION OF ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN FIFTY NOR MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED
SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS, AND CONFISCATION OF SUCH ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILI-
TY DEVICE FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS, PROVIDED, HOWEVER THAT IN THE
EVENT OF CONFISCATION, THE LICENSEE OR A PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF THE OPER-
ATOR OF SUCH DEVICE SHALL HAVE THIRTY DAYS AFTER REPOSSESSION TO OBTAIN
PROPER REGISTRATION AND/OR LICENSURE OF THE DEVICE. IN THE EVENT OF
FAILURE TO OBTAIN PROPER REGISTRATION AND/OR LICENSURE OF THE DEVICE
WITHIN THIRTY DAYS, THE DEPARTMENT MAY SUSPEND THE OPERATOR'S LICENSE TO
OPERATE SUCH DEVICE AND/OR CONFISCATE THE DEVICE UNTIL THE OWNER CAN
FURNISH PROOF OF PROPER REGISTRATION AND LICENSURE.
4. (A) NO PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF SIXTEEN SHALL OPERATE AN ELECTRIC
PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICE, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN-G
OF THIS CHAPTER. ANY PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF SIXTEEN MAY SIT AS A
PASSENGER ON A CLASS TWO OR CLASS THREE BICYCLE WITH ELECTRIC ASSIST AS
DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED TWO-C OF THIS CHAPTER, PROVIDED SUCH
BICYCLE IS EQUIPPED OR DESIGNED TO CARRY A PASSENGER.
(B) NO PERSON SHALL OPERATE OR SIT AS A PASSENGER ON AN ELECTRIC
PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICE, UNLESS SUCH PERSON IS WEARING PROTECTIVE HEAD-
GEAR THAT CONFORMS TO THE MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS ESTABLISHED FOR BICYCLE
HELMETS BY THE UNITED STATES CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION OR THE
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS.
5. AN ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICE MAY BE RIDDEN IN PLACES WHERE
BICYCLES ARE ALLOWED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, STREETS, ROADWAYS,
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HIGHWAYS, SHOULDERS, BICYCLE LANES, AND BICYCLE OR MULTI-USE PATHS.
FOLLOWING NOTICE AND AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC HEARING, A COUNTY, MUNICI-
PALITY, OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE STATE THAT HAS JURISDIC-
TION OVER A BICYCLE OR MULTI-USE PATH MAY PROHIBIT THE OPERATION OF
ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES ON BICYCLE OR MULTI-USE PATHS IF IT
IS FOUND THAT THE PROHIBITION IS NEEDED FOR SAFETY REASONS OR COMPLIANCE
WITH LOCAL LAWS OR ORDINANCES.
6. (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT ON OR BEFORE JANUARY FIRST, TWO
THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE, THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE ASSEMBLY ON THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES REGIS-
TERED, ANNUAL DATA ON ANY VIOLATIONS OF THIS LAW BY UNLICENSED OR UNREG-
ISTERED OPERATION, NUMBER OF CRIMINAL CITATIONS ISSUED RELATED TO SUCH
ELECTRIC PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES AND REVENUES COLLECTED PURSUANT TO
THIS SECTION.
(B) SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, RECOMMENDATIONS
ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS SECTION FOR THE PURPOSES OF
INCREASED USER AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE
ISSUE OF FIRE SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law.