S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          630
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. GANTT, PRETLOW -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
         CAHILL, CUSICK, MAGEE, PAULIN, RAMOS -- read once and referred to  the
         Committee on Transportation
       AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to expanding
         the definition of bus
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision 1 of section 509-a of the vehicle and traffic
    2  law, as amended by chapter 853 of the laws of 1992, is amended  to  read
    3  as follows:
    4    (1)  bus  shall  mean  every  motor  vehicle, owned, leased, rented or
    5  otherwise controlled by a motor carrier, which (a) is a school  bus  (I)
    6  as  defined  in section one hundred forty-two of this chapter [or]; (II)
    7  WHICH IS OWNED BY A PUBLIC OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY,  PRE-SCHOOL,  NURSERY
    8  SCHOOL OR PRIVATE SCHOOL AND OPERATED FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF CHILDREN
    9  LESS THAN SCHOOL AGE, TEACHERS AND OTHER PERSONS ACTING IN A SUPERVISORY
   10  CAPACITY,  TO AND FROM A PRE-SCHOOL, NURSERY SCHOOL OR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
   11  OR PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR COMPENSATION FOR THE  TRANSPORTATION
   12  OF CHILDREN LESS THAN SCHOOL AGE, TEACHERS AND OTHER PERSONS ACTING IN A
   13  SUPERVISORY  CAPACITY  TO OR FROM A PRE-SCHOOL, NURSERY SCHOOL OR SCHOOL
   14  ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT WITH  SUCH  PUBLIC  OR  GOVERNMENTAL
   15  AGENCY, PRE-SCHOOL OR NURSERY SCHOOL; OR (III) has a seating capacity of
   16  more  than  ten  adult passengers in addition to the driver and which is
   17  used for the transportation of persons under the age  of  twenty-one  or
   18  persons of any age who are mentally or physically disabled to a place of
   19  vocational,  academic  or  religious  instruction  or  religious service
   20  including nursery schools, day care centers and camps, (b)  is  required
   21  to  obtain  approval  to  operate  in  the state as a common or contract
   22  carrier of passengers by motor vehicle from the commissioner  of  trans-
   23  portation,  or the interstate commerce commission, (c) is regulated as a
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD02912-01-5
       A. 630                              2
    1  bus line by a city that has adopted an ordinance, local law  or  charter
    2  to  regulate  or  franchise  bus line operations pursuant to subdivision
    3  four of section eighty of the transportation law, (d) is regulated as  a
    4  van  service  or  other  common  carrier  of passengers by motor vehicle
    5  covered under article seven of the transportation law by a city  with  a
    6  population  of  over  one  million pursuant to an ordinance or local law
    7  adopted pursuant to subdivision five of section eighty of the  transpor-
    8  tation law or (e) is operated by a transit authority or municipality and
    9  is used to transport persons for hire. Provided, however, that bus shall
   10  not  mean  an  authorized emergency vehicle operated in the course of an
   11  emergency, or a motor vehicle used in the transportation of agricultural
   12  workers to and from their place of employment;
   13    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   14  it shall have become a law.