Assembly Bill A8981

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8981
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              August 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. ROZIC -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the transportation law, the highway law and  the  public
   authorities law, in relation to requiring street pricing for pre-pack-
   aged food and beverage items sold by vendors at certain transportation
   facilities and on toll roads

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that
 consumers in transit hubs and along toll  roads  are  often  subject  to
 inflated  prices  for  pre-packaged food and beverage items. These price
 disparities disproportionately impact lower- and middle-income travelers
 and create an inconsistent and often exploitative marketplace. It is the
 intent of the legislature  to  promote  fairness  and  affordability  by
 requiring  vendors  and  contractors  operating in public transportation
 facilities to adopt  a  "street  pricing"  model  that  reflects  prices
 charged outside such facilities.
   §  2.  The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 24 to
 read as follows:
   § 24. STREET PRICING REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITY VENDORS.
 1.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "STREET PRICING" SHALL MEAN PRICES
 COMPARABLE TO THOSE CHARGED FOR THE SAME OR SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR  ITEMS
 SOLD  BY  THE  SAME  VENDOR OR A SIMILAR VENDOR OUTSIDE A TRANSPORTATION
 FACILITY WITHIN A REASONABLE  GEOGRAPHIC  RADIUS,  NOT  TO  EXCEED  FIVE
 MILES.
   2. ANY VENDOR OPERATING WITHIN A STATE-OPERATED OR STATE-LEASED TRANS-
 PORTATION  FACILITY,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  AIRPORTS,  TRAIN
 STATIONS, AND BUS TERMINALS, SHALL BE REQUIRED TO SELL ALL  PRE-PACKAGED
 FOOD AND BEVERAGE ITEMS AT STREET PRICING.
   3.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO
 IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING BUT  NOT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13388-01-5
              

 A. 8981                             2
 
 LIMITED  TO  METHODS  OF VERIFYING COMPLIANCE, CONSUMER COMPLAINT PROCE-
 DURES, AND PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE, AND TO ENSURE UNIFORM  ENFORCE-
 MENT OF THIS SECTION.
   4.  A  VENDOR  MAY  BE  SUBJECT  TO CIVIL PENALTIES NOT TO EXCEED FIVE
 HUNDRED DOLLARS  PER  VIOLATION  FOR  ANY  VIOLATION  OF  THIS  SECTION.
 REPEATED  VIOLATIONS  MAY  RESULT  IN SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF VENDOR
 CONTRACTS OR LEASES.
   § 3. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 20-a  to  read
 as follows:
   §  20-A.  STREET PRICING FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES ON TOLL ROADS. 1.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "STREET PRICING" SHALL HAVE  THE  SAME
 MEANING AS IN SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
   2.  ANY THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR, VENDOR, OR CONCESSIONAIRE OPERATING ON
 ANY STATE-OWNED OR STATE-LEASED TOLL  ROAD,  INCLUDING  SERVICE  PLAZAS,
 REST  STOPS,  OR OTHER TRAVELER FACILITIES, SHALL BE REQUIRED TO UTILIZE
 STREET PRICING FOR ALL PRE-PACKAGED FOOD AND BEVERAGE ITEMS OFFERED  FOR
 SALE.
   3.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO
 IMPLEMENT AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  METHODS  OF VERIFYING COMPLIANCE, CONSUMER COMPLAINT PROCE-
 DURES, AND PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE, AND TO ENSURE UNIFORM  ENFORCE-
 MENT OF THIS SECTION.
   4.  ANY VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME PENAL-
 TIES AS OUTLINED IN SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
   § 4. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 390
 to read as follows:
   § 390. STREET PRICING FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES AT SERVICE AREAS. 1.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "STREET PRICING" SHALL HAVE  THE  SAME
 MEANING AS IN SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
   2.  ANY THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR, VENDOR, OR CONCESSIONAIRE OPERATING IN
 ANY SERVICE AREA MAINTAINED  OR  OPERATED  BY  THE  AUTHORITY  SHALL  BE
 REQUIRED  TO UTILIZE STREET PRICING FOR ALL PRE-PACKAGED FOOD AND BEVER-
 AGE ITEMS OFFERED FOR SALE.
   3. THE AUTHORITY SHALL ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLE-
 MENT AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  METHODS  OF VERIFYING COMPLIANCE, CONSUMER COMPLAINT PROCE-
 DURES, AND PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE, AND TO ENSURE UNIFORM  ENFORCE-
 MENT OF THIS SECTION.
   4.  ANY VIOLATIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME PENAL-
 TIES AS OUTLINED IN SECTION TWENTY-FOUR OF THE TRANSPORTATION LAW.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.