Assembly Bill A6945

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6945
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the transportation law and the  state  finance  law,  in
   relation  to  establishing incentives for attracting and retaining air
   traffic controllers in New York state

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The transportation law is amended by adding a new section
 14-o to read as follows:
   § 14-O. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION  AND  INCENTIVE  PROGRAM.  1.
 THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  AN  AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION AND
 INCENTIVE PROGRAM WHICH SHALL  BE  ADMINISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 TRANSPORTATION.    SUCH  PROGRAM  WILL  PROVIDE  THE FOLLOWING FINANCIAL
 INCENTIVES TO FEDERALLY EMPLOYED  AIR  TRAFFIC  CONTROLLERS  WORKING  AT
 AIRPORTS  IN  NEW YORK STATE, IN AMOUNTS TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMIS-
 SIONER OF TRANSPORTATION:
   (A) SIGNING BONUSES FOR NEWLY HIRED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS.
   (B) RETENTION BONUSES FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WHO REMAIN  EMPLOYED
 IN  NEW  YORK STATE FOR A SPECIFIED TIME PERIOD, TO BE DETERMINED BY THE
 COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORTATION.
   (C) RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FOR  NEWLY  HIRED  AIR  TRAFFIC  CONTROLLERS
 EMPLOYED  AT AIRPORTS WITH STAFFING SHORTAGES WHO MOVE TO NEW YORK STATE
 FOR SUCH EMPLOYMENT.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL ALLOCATE FUNDING FROM  THE
 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO:
   (A)  CREATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE
 CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK TO DEVELOP SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND  CERTIF-
 ICATION PROGRAMS FOR ASPIRING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS;
   (B)  PROVIDE  SCHOLARSHIPS  AND GRANTS FOR NEW YORK RESIDENTS PURSUING
 CAREERS IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, WITH A  FOCUS  ON  EXPANDING  ACCESS  TO
 UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10767-01-5
              

 A. 6945                             2
 
   (C)  IMPLEMENT  COST-OF-LIVING  ADJUSTMENTS TO ENSURE FAIR AND COMPET-
 ITIVE WAGES FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS; AND
   (D)  ENSURE THAT WAGE SUPPLEMENTS REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO
 INFLATION AND LIVING EXPENSES.
   3. THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FEDERAL
 AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, SHALL DEVELOP WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
 TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT, WORKING CONDITIONS, AND JOB SATISFACTION FOR AIR
 TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS IN NEW YORK STATE.
   4. FUNDING FOR THE AIR  TRAFFIC  CONTROLLER  RETENTION  AND  INCENTIVE
 PROGRAM  SHALL BE ALLOCATED THROUGH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION
 AND INCENTIVE FUND ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION NINETY-SEVEN-BBBBB OF
 THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-bbbbb
 to read as follows:
   § 97-BBBBB. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION AND  INCENTIVE  FUND.  1.
 THERE  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE JOINT CUSTODY OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
 TRANSPORTATION AND THE COMPTROLLER A SPECIAL FUND TO  BE  KNOWN  AS  THE
 "AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETENTION AND INCENTIVE FUND".
   2.  SUCH  FUND  SHALL CONSIST OF ALL REVENUES RECEIVED PURSUANT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOURTEEN-O OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW AND ALL OTHER
 MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED  THERETO  FROM  ANY  OTHER
 FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO LAW. ANY INTEREST RECEIVED BY THE COMPTROLLER
 ON  MONEYS  ON DEPOSIT IN SUCH FUND SHALL BE RETAINED IN AND BECOME PART
 OF SUCH FUND.
   3. THE MONIES OF THE FUND SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
 TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADMINISTERING THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL-
 LER RETENTION AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO  SECTION  FOURTEEN-O  OF
 THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
   4.  MONIES  SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND WARRANT OF
 THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY  THE  COMMISSIONER
 OF TRANSPORTATION.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.