Assembly Bill A1495

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1495
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, WOERNER -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to induction  loop
   listening systems
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 53 of the public buildings law, as amended by chap-
 ter 23 of the laws of 1989, subdivision 1 as amended by chapter  221  of
 the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   § 53. [Assistive]  INDUCTION  LOOP  listening  systems. 1. (A) All new
 public buildings, construction of which commences after  January  first,
 nineteen hundred ninety-one, [containing] WHICH ARE OR CONTAIN WITHIN an
 [auditorium,  theater, meeting hall, hearing room, amphitheater, or room
 used in any similar capacity which are so designated by the  appropriate
 building  and  fire code] AREA OF PUBLIC ASSEMBLY OR SERVICE, shall have
 equipped and installed an [assistive] INDUCTION  LOOP  listening  system
 for  use  by persons who are deaf or hard of hearing who require the use
 of such a system to improve their reception of sound.
   (B) THE OWNER OF ANY PUBLIC BUILDING WHICH IS OR  CONTAINS  WITHIN  AN
 AREA  OF  PUBLIC ASSEMBLY OR SERVICE AND HAS AN INDUCTION LOOP LISTENING
 SYSTEM INSTALLED AND EQUIPPED SHALL POST  IN  A  CLEAR  AND  CONSPICUOUS
 MANNER  PERMANENTLY  MOUNTED  SIGNAGE  TO INDICATE TO VISITORS THAT SUCH
 INDUCTION LOOP LISTENING SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE.
   (C) ON A BIENNIAL BASIS, THE OWNER OF ANY PUBLIC BUILDING WHICH IS  OR
 CONTAINS  WITHIN  AN  AREA  OF  PUBLIC  ASSEMBLY  OR  SERVICE AND HAS AN
 INDUCTION LOOP LISTENING SYSTEM INSTALLED AND EQUIPPED SHALL COMPLETE  A
 SELF-CERTIFICATION   FORM  AND  SUBMIT  SUCH  FORM  TO  THE  STATE  FIRE
 PREVENTION AND BUILDING CODE COUNCIL, ATTESTING THAT SUCH INDUCTION LOOP
 LISTENING SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BE FUNCTIONAL.
   2. Standards for such systems shall be developed  by  the  state  fire
 prevention and building code council upon receiving recommendations from
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04704-01-5
              

 A. 1495                             2
 
 the  advisory  board  on [assistive] INDUCTION LOOP listening systems in
 places of public assembly.
   3. For purposes of this section, the [term] FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE
 THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "[assistive]  INDUCTION LOOP listening system" shall mean [situa-
 tional-personal acoustic communication equipment designed to improve the
 transmission and auditory reception  of  sound]  A  HARDWIRED  ASSISTIVE
 LISTENING SYSTEM THROUGH WHICH A LOOP OF WIRE AROUND AN AREA OF A BUILD-
 ING PRODUCES A SIGNAL, OR A HARDWIRED COUNTERTOP VERSION THAT PRODUCES A
 SIGNAL, RECEIVED DIRECTLY BY HEARING AIDS AND COCHLEAR IMPLANTS EQUIPPED
 WITH TELECOIL FEATURES USED BY PERSONS WITH HEARING LOSS.
   (B)  "AREA  OF  PUBLIC  ASSEMBLY  OR SERVICE" SHALL MEAN A BUILDING OR
 STRUCTURE, OR SPACE WITHIN A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE,  THAT  IS  REGULARLY
 OPEN  FOR  PUBLIC  GATHERINGS, INCLUDING AN AUDITORIUM, THEATER, MEETING
 ROOM OR HALL, COURTROOM, COMMUNITY CENTER, AMPHITHEATER, LIBRARY,  PHAR-
 MACY COUNTER, INFORMATION DESK AT A MEDICAL FACILITY, A WAITING AREA FOR
 A  MEDICAL  OFFICE,  BANK  TELLER AREA, CAR RENTAL BUSINESS, RESTAURANT,
 BAR, OR OTHER FOOD OR BEVERAGE  COUNTER  SERVICE  LOCATION,  COAT  CHECK
 AREA,  GROCERY  STORE  CHECK-OUT  AREA,  TICKET PAYMENT LOCATION, OR ANY
 OTHER ROOM USED IN ANY SIMILAR CAPACITY WHICH ARE SO DESIGNATED  BY  THE
 APPROPRIATE BUILDING AND FIRE CODE.
   §  2. The state fire prevention and building code council shall update
 and amend any applicable building  and  fire  codes  to  carry  out  the
 provisions of section 53 of the public buildings law.
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect seven months after it shall have
 become a law.