Bill Text: NY A02156 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Requires the provision of assistive listening systems in New York state public transportation terminals.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to transportation [A02156 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A02156-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2156
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 15, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Transportation
       AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in  relation  to  requiring  the
         provision  of  assistive  listening  systems  in New York state public
         transportation terminals
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The transportation law is amended by adding a new section
    2  15-d to read as follows:
    3    S 15-D. ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM; ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS.
    4  1. ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO
    5  AIRPORTS, BUS STATIONS, REST AREAS, AND RAILROAD STATIONS LOCATED WITHIN
    6  THE  STATE  SHALL BE EQUIPPED AND MAINTAINED WITH AN ASSISTIVE LISTENING
    7  SYSTEM FOR USE BY PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD OF HEARING WHO REQUIRE THE USE  OF
    8  SUCH  A  SYSTEM  TO IMPROVE THEIR RECEPTION OF SOUND. STANDARDS FOR SUCH
    9  SYSTEMS SHALL BE DEVELOPED BY THE STATE  FIRE  PREVENTION  AND  BUILDING
   10  CODE  COUNCIL  UPON RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD ON
   11  ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS IN PLACES  OF  PUBLIC  ASSEMBLY,  AND  SHALL
   12  PROVIDE FOR:
   13    (A)  ANNOUNCEMENTS TO PASSENGERS, INCLUDING EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS, TO
   14  BE CAPTIONED IN REAL TIME ON SCREENS IN AIRPORTS AND RAIL STATIONS;
   15    (B) PROMINENTLY DISPLAY APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE AND USING SPECIFIC SYMBOLS
   16  INDICATING THE TYPE OF ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS AVAILABLE; AND
   17    (C) MICROPHONE SYSTEMS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT A HEARING-AID  COMPATIBLE
   18  ASSISTIVE  LISTENING  SYSTEM. DISPLAY THE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL FOR ASSISTIVE
   19  LISTENING AT TICKETING AND INFORMATION BOOTHS AND THE AREAS WHERE IT  IS
   20  AVAILABLE.
   21    2.  THE  COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGU-
   22  LATIONS AS HE OR SHE DEEMS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
   23  SUBDIVISION.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04180-01-5
       A. 2156                             2
    1    3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION  SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  PRIVATE-USE
    2  AIRPORTS OR RAILROAD TERMINALS.
    3    4. ALL FACILITIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE
    4  A  COMPLIANT  ASSISTIVE  LISTENING  SYSTEM  INSTALLED  AND AVAILABLE FOR
    5  PUBLIC USE BY A DATE NO LATER THAN THIRTY-SIX MONTHS AFTER THIS  SECTION
    6  SHALL HAVE BECOME A LAW.
    7    5. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
    8    A.  "AIRPORT" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN SUBDIVI-
    9  SION FIVE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY OF THE GENERAL BUSINESS LAW;
   10    B. "ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEM" SHALL MEAN SITUATIONAL-PERSONAL ACOUS-
   11  TIC COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT DESIGNED TO  IMPROVE  THE  TRANSMISSION  AND
   12  AUDITORY RECEPTION OF SOUND. SUCH SYSTEM SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMIT-
   13  ED  TO  THE  USE OF STANDARD AMPLITUDE MODULATION, FREQUENCY MODULATION,
   14  INDUCTION LOOP, INFRARED SYSTEM  (IR),  OR  HARD  WIRED  INDUCTION  LOOP
   15  SYSTEM;
   16    C.  "PRIVATE-USE"  REFERS TO AN AIRPORT TERMINAL, BUS STATION OR RAIL-
   17  ROAD STATION USED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE OWNER THEREOF AND  PERSONS  AUTHOR-
   18  IZED BY SUCH OWNER;
   19    D. "PUBLIC-USE" REFERS TO AN AIRPORT TERMINAL, BUS STATION, REST AREA,
   20  RAILROAD  STATION  OR OTHER PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL AVAILABLE FOR
   21  USE BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITHOUT A REQUIREMENT FOR THE  PRIOR  APPROVAL
   22  OF  THE  OWNER  OR OPERATOR THEREOF EXCEPT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY FEDERAL
   23  LAW OR REGULATION; AND
   24    E. "RAILROAD" HAS THE SAME MEANING AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN  SECTION
   25  TWO OF THIS CHAPTER.
   26    S 2. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section 15-e to
   27  read as follows:
   28    S 15-E. VISUAL EMERGENCY ALARM. 1. ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS
   29  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO AIRPORTS, BUS STATIONS, REST AREAS, AND
   30  RAILROAD STATIONS SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH VISUAL  ALARM  ELEMENTS  SUFFI-
   31  CIENT  TO  COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY FOR EMERGENCY EVACUATION MEASURES FOR
   32  USE BY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING NO LATER  THAN  THIRTY-SIX
   33  MONTHS AFTER THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE BECOME A LAW.
   34    2.  STANDARDS  FOR  SUCH  ALARMS  SHALL BE DEVELOPED BY THE STATE FIRE
   35  PREVENTION AND BUILDING CODE COUNCIL UPON RECEIVING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
   36  THE ADVISORY BOARD ON ASSISTIVE LISTENING SYSTEMS IN  PLACES  OF  PUBLIC
   37  ASSEMBLY;  PROVIDED  THAT SUCH VISUAL ELEMENT SHALL NOT UTILIZE BLINKING
   38  LIGHTS AND SHALL BE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE  THE  POSSIBILITY  OR  RISK  OF
   39  TRIGGERING SEIZURES IN PERSONS WHO HAVE EPILEPSY OR PHOTOSENSITIVITY.
   40    S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   41  it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
   42  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
   43  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or
   44  before such effective date.