Bill Text: NY A09613 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the senior driver safety commission; provides for its powers and duties.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-26 - referred to transportation [A09613 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09613-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9613

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 26, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Transportation

        AN ACT to establish the senior driver safety  commission  and  providing
          for  its  powers  and  duties;  and  providing  for the repeal of such
          provisions upon expiration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  This  act  shall  be  known and may be cited as the "Bill
     2  Geller act", in memory of Bill Geller, a forty-seven year old  man  from
     3  Somers,  New  York who was struck and killed by an eighty-eight year old
     4  driver as he was walking down a road on a clear, sunny day.  Mr.  Geller
     5  left  a  grieving  family,  including  a young son. The driver was never
     6  charged in conjunction with his death.
     7    § 2. Legislative intent. 1. The legislature hereby finds and declares:
     8    (a) seniors represent the fastest-growing  segment  of  drivers,  with
     9  current  projections  suggesting  that  a quarter of all drivers will be
    10  over 65 by 2025;
    11    (b) drivers 85 years of age and older have  a  higher  rate  of  fatal
    12  accidents than teenagers;
    13    (c)  accidents  involving  senior  drivers are caused in large part by
    14  factors such as diminished peripheral vision, which can lead drivers  to
    15  enter roadways in the path of oncoming vehicles; slower reaction time; a
    16  more limited range of movement; and poor night vision; and
    17    (d)  based  upon  the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
    18  suggestions and comparative analysis of provisions  across  the  states,
    19  New  York  State  lags  behind  other states in adopting age-appropriate
    20  driving safeguards.
    21    2. The legislature therefore finds and declares that a  senior  driver
    22  safety commission shall be established pursuant to this act.
    23    §  3. Senior driver safety commission. 1. The commission shall consist
    24  of twelve members. Four of the members shall be appointed by the  gover-
    25  nor,  of  which  one shall be from the department of motor vehicles, one
    26  shall be from the department of transportation and one shall be from the
    27  office for the aging.  Three of the members shall be  appointed  by  the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07761-01-3
        A. 9613                             2

     1  temporary  president  of  the  senate.    Three  of the members shall be
     2  appointed by the speaker of the assembly. One member shall be  appointed
     3  by  the  minority leader of the senate. One member shall be appointed by
     4  the  minority  leader  of  the  assembly. All appointments shall be made
     5  within thirty days of the effective date of this act.
     6    2. The commission shall, within twenty days following the  appointment
     7  of all its members, elect a chairperson from among such members.
     8    3.  The commission shall study, examine and review the issue of senior
     9  driver safety. In conducting its study, the commission shall:
    10    (a) evaluate the effectiveness of  current  laws  and  regulations  in
    11  regards to senior driver safety;
    12    (b)  make  regulatory  and  legislative  recommendations  necessary to
    13  increase the safety of all drivers, passengers and pedestrians;
    14    (c) survey and assess the leading causes of senior  driver  car  acci-
    15  dents;
    16    (d) identify and analyze preventative measures that may be implemented
    17  by the state to reduce the number of accidents involving senior drivers;
    18    (e) study and evaluate the availability and effectiveness of screening
    19  tests for identifying impaired drivers;
    20    (f)  survey  and assess the problems of driving under the influence of
    21  prescription drugs often used by senior drivers;
    22    (g) analyze and provide measures that may mitigate the  risks  associ-
    23  ated  with  the operation of motor vehicles by senior drivers, including
    24  the use of non-traditional driving devices that may mitigate risks; and
    25    (h) consider any other issues  or  matters  the  commission  may  deem
    26  appropriate to fulfill the scope of its charge.
    27    4. The commission shall report its findings, conclusions and recommen-
    28  dations to the governor and legislature no later than one hundred eighty
    29  days after the effective date of this act.
    30    §  4. As used in this act "senior driver" is defined as any individual
    31  aged 70 and older with a valid driver's license issued by the  New  York
    32  state department of motor vehicles.
    33    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect
    34  until  the  one  hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law,
    35  when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed.