Bill Text: NY A10303 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relates to paratransit services within the state and city of New York during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 23-2)

Status: (Vetoed) 2020-06-17 - VETOED MEMO.54 [A10303 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A10303-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                        10303--A

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     April 15, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee  on  Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the  transportation  law,  in  relation  to  paratransit
          services  within the state and city of New York during the coronavirus
          disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

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

     1    Section  1. Subdivision 5 of section 15-b of the transportation law is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph c to read as follows:
     3    c. (1) (a) The eligibility of  all  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act
     4  paratransit  eligible  customers,  whose  certification  would otherwise
     5  expire between March first, two thousand twenty and  July  thirty-first,
     6  two  thousand twenty, shall be extended through August thirty-first, two
     7  thousand twenty.
     8    (b) Each contractor providing paratransit services shall render eligi-
     9  bility determinations for any application for Americans  with  Disabili-
    10  ties  Act  paratransit  based  on  the application and submitted medical
    11  documentation alone, until August thirty-first, two thousand twenty.
    12    (c) For the period ending July thirty-first, two thousand twenty,  all
    13  contractors providing paratransit services shall suspend all paratransit
    14  shared rides and shall instead dispatch and route individual paratransit
    15  trips,  to  the  maximum extent possible. Customers shall be notified in
    16  advance in the event that their ride will be shared with another custom-
    17  er, and such customers shall have the  right  to  refuse  or  reschedule
    18  shared rides without penalty.
    19    (d)  All contractors providing paratransit services in the city of New
    20  York shall ensure that all paratransit drivers and  personnel  providing
    21  paratransit  services are provided with hand sanitizer, disposable ster-
    22  ile gloves, face masks and training on preventive  measures  to  protect
    23  both  customers and drivers from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases,
    24  consistent with current center for disease  control  and  department  of
    25  health guidelines.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16013-04-0
        A. 10303--A                         2

     1    (2)  Any  contractor  providing  paratransit services is authorized to
     2  extend any date set forth in clause (a), (b) or (c) of subparagraph  (1)
     3  of  this  paragraph, if, in the interest of the health and safety of the
     4  public due to the coronavirus disease  2019  (COVID-19)  pandemic,  such
     5  contractor deems such extension to be necessary.
     6    §  2.  Subdivision  5  of  section  15-c  of the transportation law is
     7  amended by adding a new paragraph e to read as follows:
     8    e. (1) (a) The eligibility of  all  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act
     9  paratransit  eligible  customers,  whose  certification  would otherwise
    10  expire between March first, two thousand twenty and  July  thirty-first,
    11  two  thousand twenty, shall be extended through August thirty-first, two
    12  thousand twenty.
    13    (b) Each transportation provider providing paratransit services  shall
    14  render eligibility determinations for any application for Americans with
    15  Disabilities  Act  paratransit  based  on  the application and submitted
    16  medical documentation alone, until  August  thirty-first,  two  thousand
    17  twenty.
    18    (c)  For the period ending July thirty-first, two thousand twenty, all
    19  transportation providers providing paratransit  services  shall  suspend
    20  all  paratransit shared rides and shall instead dispatch and route indi-
    21  vidual paratransit trips, to  the  maximum  extent  possible.  Customers
    22  shall be notified in advance in the event that their ride will be shared
    23  with another customer, and such customers shall have the right to refuse
    24  or reschedule shared rides without penalty.
    25    (d)  All  transportation  providers  providing paratransit services in
    26  this state shall ensure  that  all  paratransit  drivers  and  personnel
    27  providing paratransit services are provided with hand sanitizer, dispos-
    28  able  sterile  gloves, face masks and training on preventive measures to
    29  protect both customers and drivers from COVID-19  and  other  infectious
    30  diseases, consistent with current center for disease control and depart-
    31  ment of health guidelines.
    32    (2)  Any  transportation  provider  providing  paratransit services is
    33  authorized to extend any date set forth in clause (a),  (b)  or  (c)  of
    34  subparagraph  (1)  of  this paragraph, if, in the interest of the health
    35  and safety of the public due to the coronavirus disease 2019  (COVID-19)
    36  pandemic, such transportation provider deems such extension to be neces-
    37  sary.
    38    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.