S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
10323--A
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 20, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ANDERSON, SEAWRIGHT, WEPRIN, TAPIA, WRIGHT, HYND-
MAN, CHANDLER-WATERMAN, DAVILA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Cities -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to establishing a pilot program to evaluate the impact of
commuter vans accepting hails from prospective passengers in the
street
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision p of section 19-502 of the administrative code
of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 37 for the year
2019, is amended to read as follows:
p. "Commuter van" means a commuter van service having a seating capac-
ity of at least nine passengers but not more than twenty passengers or
such greater capacity as the commission may establish by rule and carry-
ing passengers for hire in the city duly licensed as a commuter van by
the commission and not permitted to accept hails from prospective
passengers in the street EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION C
OF SECTION 19-516 OF THIS CHAPTER. For purposes of the provisions of
this chapter relating to prohibitions against the operation of an unau-
thorized commuter van service or an unlicensed commuter van, the
enforcement of such prohibitions and the imposition of penalties for
violations of such prohibitions and to the seizure and forfeiture of
commuter vans, the term shall also include any common carrier of passen-
gers by motor vehicle not subject to licensure as a taxicab, for-hire
vehicle, or wheelchair accessible van and not operating as a public or
private bus transit service operated pursuant to a contract with the
city, any county within the state of New York, the state of New York or
any other state or local government that follows the applicable procure-
ment rules and regulations of such jurisdiction regardless of the seat-
ing capacity of any such vehicle. The commission shall submit to the
council the text of any proposed rule relating to the maximum capacity
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14429-02-6
A. 10323--A 2
of commuter vans at the time such proposed rule is published in the City
Record.
§ 2. Paragraph 1 of subdivision a of section 19-504 of the administra-
tive code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 115
for the year 1993, is amended to read as follows:
(1) A [taxi-cab] TAXICAB, coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter
van or for-hire vehicle shall operate within the city of New York only
if the owner shall first have obtained from the commission a taxicab,
coach, wheelchair accessible van, commuter van or for-hire vehicle
license for such vehicle and only while such license is in full force
and effect. Vehicle licenses shall be issued for a term of not less
than one nor more than two years and shall expire on the date set forth
on the license unless sooner suspended or revoked by the commission. No
motor vehicle other than a duly licensed taxicab OR COMMUTER VAN WHERE
AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION C OF SECTION 19-516 OF THIS CHAPTER
shall be permitted to accept hails from passengers in the street. No
commuter van shall be operated within the city of New York unless it is
operated as part of a current, valid authorization to operate a commuter
van service duly issued by the commission pursuant to section 19-504.2
of this chapter.
§ 3. The section heading of section 19-516 of the administrative code
of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 115 of the city
of New York for the year 1993, is amended to read as follows:
Acceptance of passengers by for-hire vehicles [and commuter vans].
§ 4. Subdivision b of section 19-516 of the administrative code of the
city of New York, as amended by local law number 6 for the year 2017, is
amended and a new subdivision c is added to read as follows:
b. [No] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION C OF THIS SECTION, NO commu-
ter van service and no person who owns, operates or drives a commuter
van, shall provide, permit or authorize the provision of transportation
service to a passenger unless such service to a passenger is on the
basis of a telephone contract or other prearrangement. Where a violation
of this subdivision has been committed by a driver of a commuter van,
the commuter van service and the owner of such vehicle shall also be
liable for a violation of this subdivision.
C. THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH A PILOT PROGRAM TO EVALUATE THE
IMPACT OF COMMUTER VANS ACCEPTING STREET HAILS. UNTIL JUNE THIRTIETH,
TWO THOUSAND THIRTY COMMUTER VANS DULY LICENSED BY THE COMMISSION TO
CARRY PASSENGERS FOR HIRE ARE AUTHORIZED TO ACCEPT HAILS FROM PROSPEC-
TIVE PASSENGERS IN THE STREETS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK WITHIN BROOKLYN
COMMUNITY DISTRICT FIVE, BROOKLYN COMMUNITY DISTRICT NINE, BROOKLYN
COMMUNITY DISTRICT SIXTEEN, AND BROOKLYN COMMUNITY DISTRICT SEVENTEEN,
PROVIDED THAT SUCH AUTHORIZATION SHALL PROHIBIT THE PICK UP OF PASSEN-
GERS BY STREET HAIL AT AIRPORTS OR IN SUCH OTHER AREA AS THE COMMISSION
SHALL BY RULE PROHIBIT. NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWEN-
TY-EIGHT AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE PILOT
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSION SHALL
SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE MAYOR, SPEAKER OF THE COUNCIL, GOVERNOR, THE
TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
EVALUATING THE PILOT PROGRAM WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COMMUTER
VANS ACCEPTING HAILS FROM PROSPECTIVE PASSENGERS IN THE STREETS AND ANY
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION REGARDING THE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMU-
TER VANS TO ACCEPT HAILS FROM PROSPECTIVE PASSENGERS IN THE STREETS OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed June 30, 2030.