S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8703
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to school bus
stop-arm cameras; and to amend the general municipal law, in relation
to the establishment of traffic violations bureaus
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraphs 1, 1-a and 2 of subdivision (a) of section
1174-a of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 1 of part
AA of chapter 56 of the laws of 2024, are amended to read as follows:
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county, city, town or
village located within a school district ("district") is hereby author-
ized and empowered to adopt and amend a local law or ordinance APPLICA-
BLE TO ALL ROADWAYS WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES establishing a demonstration
program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a vehicle for fail-
ure of an operator thereof to comply with subdivision (a) of section
eleven hundred seventy-four of this article when meeting a school bus
marked and equipped as provided in subdivisions twenty and twenty-one-c
of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter and operated in
such county, city, town or village, in accordance with the provisions of
this section. Such demonstration program shall empower such county,
city, town or village to install and operate school bus photo violation
monitoring systems which may be stationary or mobile, and which may be
installed, pursuant to an agreement with [a] ANY school district within
such county, city, town or village, on school buses owned and operated
by such school district or privately owned and operated for compensation
under contract with [such] A district. Provided, however, that (a) no
stationary school bus photo violation monitoring system shall be
installed or operated by a county, city, town or village except on road-
ways under the jurisdiction of such county, city, town or village, and
(b) no mobile school bus photo violation monitoring system shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13028-01-5
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installed [or operated] on any such school buses unless such county,
city, town or village and [such] A district enter into an agreement for
such installation [and operation].
1-a. Any county, city, town or village, located within a school
district, that has adopted a local law or ordinance pursuant to this
section establishing a demonstration program imposing liability on the
owner of a vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with
subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article
when meeting a school bus marked and equipped as provided in subdivi-
sions twenty and twenty-one-c of section three hundred seventy-five of
this chapter and operated in such county, city, town or village may
enter into an agreement with [the] AN applicable school district for the
installation, maintenance and use of school bus photo violation monitor-
ing systems on school buses pursuant to this section and section twen-
ty-two of the chapter of the laws of two thousand nineteen which added
this section, for the proper handling and custody of photographs, micro-
photographs, videotapes, other recorded images and data produced by such
systems, and for the forwarding of such photographs, microphotographs,
videotapes, other recorded images and data to the applicable county,
city, town or village. Any agreement entered into hereunder shall be
approved by each participating county, city, town or village by a major-
ity vote of the voting strength of its governing body and by resolution
of [the] A district pursuant to section sixteen hundred four, section
seventeen hundred nine, section twenty-five hundred three, section twen-
ty-five hundred fifty-four or section twenty-five hundred ninety-h of
the education law, as applicable. Provided, however, that where a
district has entered an agreement as provided hereunder with a county,
no cities, towns or villages within the same county may enter into, or
be a party to, any agreement with such district pursuant to this
section. Provided further, however, that no county shall enter an agree-
ment with any city school district wholly contained within a city. Noth-
ing in this section shall be construed to prevent a county, city, town,
village or district at any time to withdraw from or terminate an agree-
ment entered pursuant to this section and section twenty-two of chapter
one hundred forty-five of the laws of two thousand nineteen which added
this section.
2. Any image or images captured by school bus photo violation monitor-
ing systems shall be inadmissible in any disciplinary proceeding
convened by any school district or any school bus contractor thereof,
and any proceeding initiated by the department involving licensure priv-
ileges of school bus operators. Any school bus photo violation monitor-
ing device mounted on a school bus shall be directed outwardly from such
school bus to capture images of vehicles operated in violation of subdi-
vision (a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article, and
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED ELEVEN-C OF THIS TITLE,
images produced by such device shall not be used for any other purpose.
§ 2. Subdivision (c) of section 1174-a of the vehicle and traffic law,
as added by chapter 145 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
follows:
(c) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the
following meanings: "ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL" SHALL MEAN A TRAFFIC
VIOLATIONS BUREAU ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY
OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW WHERE THE VIOLATION OCCURRED OR THE COURT
HAVING JURISDICTION OVER TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS WHERE THE VIOLATION
OCCURRED, EXCEPT THAT IF A CITY HAS ESTABLISHED AN ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBU-
NAL TO HEAR AND DETERMINE COMPLAINTS OF TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS CONSTITUTING
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PARKING, STANDING OR STOPPING VIOLATIONS SUCH CITY MAY, BY LOCAL LAW,
AUTHORIZE SUCH ADJUDICATION BY SUCH TRIBUNAL; "COURT HAVING JURISDICTION
OVER TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS WHERE THE VIOLATION OCCURRED" SHALL MEAN THE
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES; "county" shall have the meaning provided
in section three of the county law, except that such term shall not
include any county wholly contained within a city; "manual on uniform
traffic control devices" or "MUTCD" shall mean the manual and specifica-
tions for a uniform system of traffic control devices maintained by the
commissioner of transportation pursuant to section sixteen hundred
eighty of this chapter; "HEARING OFFICER" SHALL MEAN A HEARING OFFICER,
JUDICIAL HEARING OFFICER, ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE OR LOCAL COURT
JUSTICE, AS APPLICABLE; "owner" shall have the meaning provided in arti-
cle two-B of this chapter; "SCHOOL DISTRICT" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING
AS "EDUCATIONAL AGENCY" AS PROVIDED IN SECTION TWO-D OF THE EDUCATION
LAW; and "school bus photo violation monitoring system" shall mean a
device that is capable of operating independently of an enforcement
officer which is installed to work in conjunction with a school bus
stop-arm and which automatically produces two or more photographs, two
or more microphotographs, a videotape or other recorded images of a
vehicle at the time it is used or operated in violation of subdivision
(a) of section eleven hundred seventy-four of this article.
§ 3. Paragraph 2 of subdivision (g) of section 1174-a of the vehicle
and traffic law, as amended by section 4 of part AA of chapter 56 of the
laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
2. A notice of liability shall AT A MINIMUM contain THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION:
(I) the name and address of the person alleged to be liable as an
owner for a violation of subdivision (a) of section eleven hundred
seventy-four of this article pursuant to this section[,];
(II) the registration number of the vehicle involved in such
violation[,];
(III) the location where such violation took place[,];
(IV) the date and time of such violation[,];
(V) the identification number of the school bus photo violation moni-
toring system which recorded the violation or other document locator
number[, and];
(VI) the registration number of the school bus on which the school bus
photo violation monitoring system which recorded the violation was
installed[.];
(VII) THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAYMENT, NOTING THAT PAYMENT IS DEEMED AN
ADMISSION OF LIABILITY;
(VIII) THE INFORMATION ADVISING THE PERSON CHARGED OF THE MANNER AND
THE TIME IN WHICH SUCH PERSON MAY CONTEST THE LIABILITY ALLEGED IN THE
NOTICE WITHIN THIRTY-SEVEN DAYS OF RECEIPT, WHICH MAY INCLUDE AN IN-PER-
SON HEARING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION (H) OF THIS
SECTION, AND AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, MAY ALSO
INCLUDE OPTIONS FOR CONTESTATION BY MAIL THROUGH SUBMISSION OF A WRITTEN
EXPLANATION OR AN ONLINE VIDEO CONFERENCE HEARING; AND
(IX) THE WARNING TO ADVISE THE PERSONS CHARGED THAT FAILURE TO CONTEST
IN THE MANNER AND TIME PROVIDED SHALL BE DEEMED AN ADMISSION OF LIABIL-
ITY AND THAT A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED THEREON OR AN ENTITY MAY
BE DIRECTED TO COLLECT PENALTIES IN THE FORM OF DEBT.
§ 4. Paragraph 3 of subdivision (g) of section 1174-a of the vehicle
and traffic law, as added by chapter 145 of the laws of 2019, is amended
to read as follows:
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3. [The notice of liability shall contain information advising the
person charged of the manner and the time in which he or she may contest
the liability alleged in the notice. Such notice of liability shall also
contain a warning to advise the persons charged that failure to contest
in the manner and time provided shall be deemed an admission of liabil-
ity and that a default judgment may be entered thereon.] FAILURE TO
CONTAIN ALL INFORMATION IN PARAGRAPH TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION ON THE
NOTICE OF LIABILITY SHALL SUBJECT THE NOTICE OF LIABILITY TO DISMISSAL.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE NOTICE OF LIABILITY CONTAINING THE
INFORMATION SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH TWO OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE
DEEMED SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE PROCEEDINGS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCE-
DURES SET FORTH IN THIS SUBDIVISION AND SUBDIVISION (H) OF THIS SECTION.
§ 5. Subdivision (h) of section 1174-a of the vehicle and traffic law,
as added by chapter 145 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
follows:
(h) [Adjudication of the liability imposed upon owners by this section
shall be by a traffic violations bureau established pursuant to section
three hundred seventy of the general municipal law where the violation
occurred or, if there be none, by the court having jurisdiction over
traffic infractions where the violation occurred, except that if a city
has established an administrative tribunal to hear and determine
complaints of traffic infractions constituting parking, standing or
stopping violations such city may, by local law, authorize such adjudi-
cation by such tribunal.] NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW,
ADJUDICATION OF THE LIABILITY IMPOSED UPON OWNERS BY THIS SECTION WHO
HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO CONTEST LIABILITY SHALL BE BY THE ADMINIS-
TRATIVE TRIBUNAL DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE WHICH
HAS ESTABLISHED THE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(I) WITHIN THIRTY-SEVEN DAYS OF RECEIPT OF A TIMELY REQUEST TO CONTEST
LIABILITY, THE COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE IMPOSING LIABILITY SHALL
PROVIDE A COPY OF THE NOTICE OF LIABILITY AND THE REQUEST TO CONTEST
LIABILITY, INCLUDING THE MANNER FOR CONTESTING LIABILITY SELECTED BY THE
OWNER TO THE APPLICABLE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL WHICH SHALL THEREAFTER
HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE MATTER. IF AN IN-PERSON HEARING IS
REQUESTED, THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL SHALL SET A DATE FOR SUCH HEAR-
ING, AND, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, MAY PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR THE HEARING TO
BE HELD VIA ONLINE VIDEO CONFERENCE. THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL OR ITS
DESIGNEE, WHICH MAY BE ANY OTHER ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY SUCH COUNTY, CITY,
TOWN OR VILLAGE, SHALL MAIL A NOTICE OF HEARING TO THE OWNER, WHICH
SHALL INCLUDE THE DATE AND TIME OF THE HEARING. A MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC
RECORD OF MAILING PREPARED IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS SHALL BE
PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF THE FACTS CONTAINED THEREIN. IN LIEU OF AN
IN-PERSON OR HEARING BY ONLINE VIDEO CONFERENCE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE
TRIBUNAL MAY, IN ITS DISCRETION, PROVIDE THE OWNER AN OPTION TO CHAL-
LENGE LIABILITY THROUGH SUBMISSION OF A WRITTEN EXPLANATION.
(II) IN ALL MANNERS IN WHICH THE OWNER CHALLENGES THE LIABILITY, DUE
PROCESS SHALL GOVERN THE PROCEEDINGS EXCEPT THAT THE RULES OF EVIDENCE
SHALL NOT APPLY. THE DECISION OF THE HEARING OFFICER SHALL BE BASED
UPON A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE. DURING THE HEARING, OR IN PREPARA-
TION THEREOF, THE HEARING OFFICER SHALL ACCESS AND REVIEW PHOTOGRAPHS,
MICROPHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOTAPES, OTHER RECORDED IMAGES AND DATA PRODUCED BY
SCHOOL BUS PHOTO VIOLATION MONITORING SYSTEMS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE
COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE IN WHICH THE VIOLATION OCCURRED, OR ANY
OTHER ENTITY AUTHORIZED BY SUCH COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE. THE
HEARING OFFICER SHALL ALSO REVIEW DOCUMENTATION WHICH MAY REFUTE THE
LIABILITY SUBMITTED BY THE OWNER CONTESTING THE LIABILITY.
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(III) WITHIN FOURTEEN BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE HEARING OFFICER HAS
RENDERED A DECISION, A NOTICE OF DECISION SHALL BE PREPARED AND SENT BY
FIRST CLASS MAIL TO THE OWNER BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL OR ITS
DESIGNEE. A MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC RECORD OF MAILING PREPARED IN THE ORDI-
NARY COURSE OF BUSINESS SHALL BE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF THE FACTS
CONTAINED THEREIN. IF THE OWNER IS DEEMED LIABLE, SUCH OWNER SHALL BE
NOTIFIED OF THE CIVIL PENALTY IMPOSED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (E) OF
THIS SECTION AND METHODS OF PAYMENT. FAILURE TO PAY WITHIN THIRTY DAYS
OF THE POSTED DATE OF THE NOTICE SHALL BE DEEMED A DEFAULT AND SHALL
SUBJECT THE OWNER TO ADDITIONAL PENALTIES AND ACTIONS AS PRESCRIBED IN
SUBDIVISIONS (D) AND (E) OF THIS SECTION.
§ 6. Subdivision 10 of section 1803 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
added by chapter 145 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
10. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph e of subdivision one of
this section, where a county, CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE has established a
demonstration program imposing monetary liability on the owner of a
vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to comply with section eleven
hundred seventy-four of this chapter in accordance with section eleven
hundred seventy-four-a of this chapter, any fine or penalty collected by
a court, judge, magistrate or other officer for an imposition of liabil-
ity which occurs within such county, CITY, TOWN OR VILLAGE pursuant to
such program shall be paid to the state comptroller within the first ten
days of the month following collection. Every such payment shall be
accompanied by a statement in such form and detail as the comptroller
shall provide. The comptroller shall pay ninety percent of any such fine
or penalty imposed for such liability to the county, CITY, TOWN, OR
VILLAGE ADMINISTERING THE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM in which the violation
giving rise to the liability occurred, and ten percent of any such fine
or penalty to the [city, town or village in which the violation giving
rise to the liability occurred] ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, DESIGNATED BY
THE COUNTY, CITY, TOWN, OR VILLAGE ADMINISTERING THE DEMONSTRATION
PROGRAM, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (H) OF SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY-
FOUR-A OF THIS CHAPTER.
§ 7. Subdivision (h) of section 1180-e of the vehicle and traffic law,
as added by chapter 421 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as
follows:
(h) Adjudication of the liability imposed upon owners of this section
shall be by a traffic violations bureau established pursuant to section
three hundred seventy of the general municipal law where the violation
occurred or, if there be none, by the court having jurisdiction over
traffic infractions where the violation occurred, except that if a city
has established an administrative tribunal to hear and determine
complaints of traffic infractions constituting parking, standing or
stopping violations such city may, by local law, authorize such adjudi-
cation by such tribunal. FOR COURTS HAVING JURISDICTION OVER TRAFFIC
INFRACTIONS WHERE THE VIOLATION OCCURRED THAT ADJUDICATE LIABILITY
IMPOSED UPON OWNERS BY THIS SECTION, A NOTICE OF LIABILITY VALIDLY
IMPOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (G) OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
VALID FOR PURPOSES OF SUCH COURT ADJUDICATING SUCH LIABILITY AS IF IT
WAS A UNIFORM TRAFFIC TICKET OR SIMPLIFIED TRAFFIC INFORMATION, AND SUCH
COURT SHALL ADJUDICATE SUCH LIABILITY IN A MANNER NOT INCONSISTENT WITH
SECTIONS TWO HUNDRED FORTY AND TWO HUNDRED FORTY-ONE OF THIS CHAPTER,
PROVIDED THAT SUBSEQUENT JUDICIAL REVIEW MAY BE SOUGHT PURSUANT TO ARTI-
CLE SEVENTY-EIGHT OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES. NOTWITHSTANDING
ANY INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LAW, SUCH COURTS MAY ADJUDICATE SUCH
LIABILITY REMOTELY.
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§ 8. Subdivision 1 of section 370 of the general municipal law, as
added by chapter 496 of the laws of 1990, is amended to read as follows:
1. The legislative body of a city, village or town, may by ordinance
or local law authorize the court having jurisdiction of traffic cases to
establish a traffic violations bureau to assist the court in the dispo-
sition of infractions in relation to traffic violations. PROVIDED,
ADDITIONALLY, THAT ANY LEGISLATIVE BODY THAT HAS ESTABLISHED OR ESTAB-
LISHES A TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BUREAU PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL
NOTIFY THE STATE COMPTROLLER WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
A CHAPTER OF THE LAWS OF TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE THAT AMENDED THIS
SUBDIVISION OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH BUREAU, AND THAT ANY LEGISLATIVE
BODY THAT ELIMINATES OR REPEALS A TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BUREAU SHALL NOTIFY
THE STATE COMPTROLLER OF SUCH ELIMINATION OR REPEAL.
§ 9. Within 180 days of the effective date of this act, the commis-
sioner of motor vehicles, in consultation with the chief administrative
judge, shall provide each court and traffic violations bureau within the
state, to the extent such information is available, with a notification
advising such court or bureau of their municipality's obligation to
notify the office of the state comptroller of the existence or continued
operation of a traffic violations bureau, and if such bureau no longer
ceases to operate, pursuant to section 370 of the general municipal law.
§ 10. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that:
(a) The amendments to paragraphs 1, 1-a and 2 of subdivision (a),
subdivision (c), paragraphs 2 and 3 of subdivision (g) and subdivision
(h) of section 1174-a of the vehicle and traffic law made by sections
one, two, three, four and five respectively of this act shall not affect
the repeal of such paragraphs and shall be deemed repealed therewith;
(b) The amendments to subdivision 10 of section 1803 of the vehicle
and traffic law made by section six of this act shall not affect the
repeal of such subdivision and shall be deemed repealed therewith; and
(c) The amendments to subdivision (h) of section 1180-e of the vehicle
and traffic law made by section seven of this act shall not affect the
repeal of such subdivision and shall be deemed repealed therewith.