Senate Bill S2141

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2141

SPONSOR: LIU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to prohibiting
the metropolitan transportation authority from promulgating rules or
regulations that penalize a student for using a student MetroCard when
school is not in session

 
PURPOSE:

To end harsh penalties on students for taking the subway or riding a bus

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends 1266 of the public authorities law to add new subdivi-
sion 20 to provide that the MTA and any subsidiaries shall not promul-
gate any rules or regulations that penalize a student for using their
student MetroCard on a non-school day

Section 2 provides the effective date
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Under current New York City Transit Authority rules and regulations,
students could be charged a $100 fine, the revocation of their student
MetroCard, and face additional penalties if they were to use it on a day
when school is not in session. This overly punitive approach places an
unjustifiable burden & potential stigma on students and their families.

There are many days, including holidays and snow days, on which a
student may still need to travel to a school-related activity but cannot
use their MetroCard for fear of incurring a costly fine or worse. This
issue needs to be addressed as students are increasingly expected to
participate in extracurricular activities to become competitive candi-
dates for high school and college admission.  Therefore, removing unnec-
essary barriers to transportation is a critical part of ensuring
students can participate in activities related to their educational
goals.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

01/03/24 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

01/06/23 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

01/05/22 REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate